Let's Talk About Pillows!

Tired of the current color scheme in you home?  
Pillows are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to change the feel of 
an entire room!


Here we have two shots of the same living room. They both have the same
furniture, rug and window treatments, same white tray and white candle sticks.
I just changed out the pillows and the florals! 
Now the room has an entirely different feel!


Mix and Match

Mix and matching fabrics and different textures is a fantastic way to create
an interesting look. 
It also looks more professional and custom - like you had direction from a 
decorator or designer. 
Here I have a navy block design pillow from Chloe and Olive a linen 
fabric paired with pillow from Home Goods in a polyester fabric.

Remember pillows don’t always have to match perfectly. Below is a fuzzy leopard 
print from Home Goods paired with a chiffon rose patterned 
pillow from H&MTotally different styles and fabrics (one heavy, the other light), 
and yet, they compliment each other perfectly!


Inserts

Most pillows are sold just as pillow covers. So you will need to 

purchase the inserts for the covers. 
I have found that inserts at Pottery Barn are a little more expensive then other places, but they do 
last much longer! You are paying for quality! 
I've also used cheaper inserts from IkeaThey're great on the 
budget at around $7.00 an insert. 
Below are some Ikea pillows and inserts. Pillows from 
discount stores, such as Home Goods, Ross, Walmart, and Target normally
come with the inserts included.


3-D Elements

Another fun to dress up your pillows is with 3-D elements. Beads, tassels, 
buttons, rhinestones, and sequence all add texture and visual interest to the pillow - 
and to the piece of furniture it's being displayed on. 
See how the broach in the photo below, adds elegance to 
the gray ribbon. Without it, the the pillow wouldn't look half as fancy!
You can add elements yourself to any existing pillow with by hand 
sewing the item on. or using a glue gun.


Zippers

When choosing a pillow color, you might want to take into 
consideration the zipper. Most pillows have a dress zipper (left photo below). 
It does the trick, but if you're constantly switching out pillow
covers, or if the pillow is being laid on a lot, the zipper can fall apart pretty easy. 
However, pillows 
with a YKK zipper (right photo below,) such as these from 
Chloe and Olive, are much more durable!


Holiday Pillows

Pillows are the especially perfect for decorating for the holidays! 
In fact, it seems almost every home decor retailer has a line of holiday pillows now! 
Pier 1, Target, Pottery Barn, and Home Goods, are 
just a few of my favorite places to buy holiday pillow goodness! 
Boutiques and specialty home decor stores are other places to get one of a kind 
pillows that the masses don't have. 
Krumpet's Home Decor is one of my favorite online home 
decor stores for holiday goodies.

It's been fun sharing my thoughts and experience on pillows with you,
now go out and have some fun some shopping!

5 Tips for Arranging Fresh Flowers!

 Fresh flowers make any space beautiful!
They're one of my favorite things to photograph. 
However, sometimes they can be tricky to to arrange right, 
so I always ask my daughter Kay-Lynn for advice. 
(She has her  Texas State Floral Licenseand lots of experience!)

Below are Kay-Lynn's TOP 5 TIPS for achieving the perfect fresh flower arrangement.


Tip #1

Always rinse flowers first to get any and all pesticides off. Then cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the flower stems, but only after you’ve planned and visualized what your arrangement will look like.



Tip #2

If you're using floral foam. Let it soak for ten minutes before putting flowers in. 
Water foam every few days.


Tip #3

Use chicken wire horizontally at the top of the vase to keep your flowers in place. This will help prevent the flowers from flopping down.


Tip #4

Drop pennies into the bottom of the vase to help the flowers stay fresh longer.


Tip #5

Place largest flowers first, then fill in with the smaller flowers and greenery. Make sure to keep looking all around the arrangement for balance and even placement.  


Thanks for stopping friends! 
Hopefully these tips come in handy next time you have fresh flowers!