Be our Guest.

Remember my blog about design styles? In the last six months I have changed our guest room three times. I’ve changed the bedding, the wall art, and pillows, everything! I was out-and-about about a month ago, shopping with my mom for her new bedroom (almost completed), and came across this lamp.

I didn’t know where I was going to put it, but then decided it would be the perfect color inspiration for our new guest room as soon as we moved! It is also the perfect inspirational item for our whole home.

I love the colors. The brown is cozy and the silver is modern. When mixed together I think brown and silver are a great mid-century modern color combination.

I realize that the room is not perfectly symmetrical because we only have one of the lamps but it'll just have to do for now.

The headboard is made of just two basic art canvases painted and connected by a split silver circle.

Ideally (when we buy a house) I would love to bring these items into the room to complete it without having mixed styles.

What is your design style? What is your favorite room in your house? If you have pictures please leave a link for me to see!

Curing the Recurring #1.

As women, we all deal with some very common problems that most of us are too embarrassed to talk about. I’m pretty comfortable in my acne and sun-damaged skin, so I figure I’d share some of my secrets and things I’ve learned from others to help improve certain areas of physical appearance, but ultimately confidence. Some people take offense from someone like me (that appreciates beauty) but it is a well-known fact that feeling beautiful=feeling confident and feeling confident=a beautiful spirit and attitude. Am I wrong?

In order to maintain a healthy and beautiful lifestyle, let’s talk about a cure for an incredibly irritating and recurring problem that all women are susceptible to: CELLULITE.

Yes dears, even the fittest cannot always survive the “C” word. Here are some facts:

-Cellulite is most common on women after childbirth (it can happen before bearing a child and it also may not happen at all, but that is common)

-Cellulite usually appears on women between the ages of 25-30 but can happen before, after, or never.

-Even the youngest, skinniest of the mini-est women can become victims of cellulite.

-Cellulite is genetic

Since we are all potential victims of having dimply bottoms I’m sure some of us have tried some of the “skin-firming” regimes that are out there…. Ever wonder if those creams and lotions actually work? Well, I heard a rumor a while ago that turns out to be somewhat true!

I’ll get there…

If you have tried any of those skin-firming lotions and used it on a regular basis, you probably saw some results and continue purchasing the expensive creams… well, here is the thing that most women don’t know:

It’s not necessarily any combination of chemicals that cure our dimply bottoms, it’s the rubbing! Yep, massaging actually reduces the appearance of cellulite!

To help explain I found the perfect illustration to help us visualize what is going on under the surface so we can better combat the problem.

The way it works is that the fat lobes act as a magnet and when they are overfilled (diagram on the right) the “magnetic” pull is much stronger than a normal fat lobe, causing a downward pull of the skin located above the connective tissue; also known as cellulite.

Even when your fat lobes are overfilled, a gentle massage can do two things for you that will help decrease the appearance of cellulite. Deep, regular massage can help break up any uneven connective tissue and smooth out cellulite. It also helps release toxins that relieve stress. Massage is proven to have a positive effect on cellulite, but only as long as it's being done regularly (I usually just focus on that area when I apply lotion after my shower). If you stop massaging regularly, the cellulite will return to its former appearance. That is how companies like Jergens, Olay, and many more get away with charging more mula for their skin-firming formulas—they know you will see results and keep coming back. You just have to realize that it is not the cream that’s working the magic, it’s your hands!

Have you ever tried any skin-firming creams or lotions? Did they work for you? Are you going to try using generic lotion for a while to see if you still see results without the price tag?

If there is a recurring issue that you think or know other women deal with and would like some tips and tricks to cure, email me a frillsthrills@gmail.com

A Place to Think.

In order to unpack all our things promptly I have tried to set up the big things first because they usually store the little things. We have de-cluttered everything that is not useful nor beautiful. Our home is pretty much the way we want it for now (besides our bedroom) and everything has a place!

My friend Amanda posted a blog a couple months ago about closet offices. I had never heard of it before and fell in love with the idea because it makes so much sense! I purposed in my heart to put together one of these closet offices once we moved into our new place because we seriously have 7 ½ closets in our little apartment !!! We definitely have the space. Even before we moved in, but knew what we were getting, I drew up this little plan for our new office space:

We took off the sliding doors and put up curtains to close things off if the space ever gets cluttered and....

this is what our new office looks like as of today:

I realize there is not much color, but I really wanted it to match the guest room (which I will show you soon) it’s attached too and since Ian studies in there now and gets distracted easily, I didn’t want anything too visually stimulating… maybe someday!

What kind of office space do you have? Is this something you would want to try? It is definitely a great use of space!

Curing the Recurring #5.

A few days ago, I received a cry for help and feel it is about time I respond!

"HELP! My hair has been staticy for almost 2 months! What causes this and how do I fix it?! ... I'm about ready to shave it off to keep it from sticking to my face!"

Haha! I'm sure we have all dealt with frizzy hair at one point or another. Whether it is exposure to humid or dry climates, our hair usually has the tendency to act up.

After doing a little bit of research, here is what I came up with:

Under a microscope, a hair cuticle looks like overlapping slates on a roof. When the hair is in good condition and has high porosity the cuticle layers are tight together and perfect in shape making your hair look shiny and soft.

When hair is in bad condition or has poor porosity, the cuticle layers are lifted and sometimes damaged and broken.

When the cuticle layers are not tight together, the hair will feel coarse and brittle. The hair will then absorb the light and not reflect. This will leave your hair looking dull and lifeless.

Those with naturally curly hair have an especially difficult time avoiding frizzy hair because they have this cuticle lift effect all the time making it very difficult to absorb moisture.

Here are a few easy tips to help and prevent frizzy hair:

· Try to avoid coloring or perming your hair. Even too much brushing than what is needed for proper blood circulation can lead to split ends as well as hair damage.

· Avoid stress and have regular healthy foods containing proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates.

· Do not skip breakfast and take timely regular sleep.

· Drink plenty of water to wash out the toxins from your body. Remaining hydrated is the easiest and sometimes the only remedy needed to prevent and cure so many health issues.

· Use warm water while shampooing your hair (warm water opens the hair cuticles which increases absorption of conditioner). I didn't know that using cool water while rinsing out the conditioner closes your hair cuticles to help prevent frizz.

· Use a shampoo containing natural humectants. Humectants are lubricants that, when mixed together with natural oil of hair, hold the essential moisture your hair needs.

· Use a good moisturizing conditioner containing vitamin E, Aloe Vera and panthenol after shampooing your hair. Leaving it on your hair for 3-5 minutes before rinsing (I usually shave my legs while my conditioner sits) produces the best results.

· Do not rub your hair dry with a towel. Although this speeds up the drying process when you have long thick hair, this will cause more frizz. Instead, after you wrap your hair with a towel, pat and squeeze the towel lightly to help absorb extra water from your hair and scalp. If you are using blow dryer, use it in downward direction with a big, round brush.

· When your hair is dry, use a wide- toothed brush to comb your hair. Do not comb your hair while it is still wet. This will cause more damage to your hair. To remove tangles, comb through your hair with your fingers.

· Avoid washing your hair everyday. Constant shampooing and blow-drying may result in more frizz. Instead, wash every other day to let the natural oils reach the driest areas of your hair, the ends. This will improve the texture of your hair.

· Coconut oil massaging is good for your hair and scalp because it increases blood circulation. Use as needed to maintain a healthy look and proper hair growth and health.

What about you? Have you ever dealt with frizzy hair? Is there are specific time of year or climate that effects your hair the most? Have you tried any other remedies for de-frizzing your hair?