Friday, June 8, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Designing Your Attitude
Let's face it. Some days we just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Everything sets us off as if we are an angry, sad, and ferocious bears. The sun though it may be shining, looks dull and dreary and even our best cup of coffee doesn't knock away the blues. It happens. We all have these days.
I realized that even on days such as these, we are all still in control of our own attitudes. Even when we don't want to control our attitudes, we can consciously make the effort to readjust and start over mentally. I'm calling this process "designing your attitude." After explaining the process, I am including a printable graphic at the bottom so you can keep a reminder sheet handy on these bad days.
1.
Take a deep breath
I realized that even on days such as these, we are all still in control of our own attitudes. Even when we don't want to control our attitudes, we can consciously make the effort to readjust and start over mentally. I'm calling this process "designing your attitude." After explaining the process, I am including a printable graphic at the bottom so you can keep a reminder sheet handy on these bad days.
Whatever
it is that has you on edge can’t keep you from calming down. Take a deep breath or two to remind yourself
that you are in control and to allow your body to naturally relax itself.
2.
Count to thirty
Why
thirty? Thirty seconds is an adequate
time to halt . . . long enough to stop your bad attitude in its tracks. Consider this your time to think. Think about why you are having a “bad day”
and decide if you want this to keep controlling your attitude.
3. Do
something nice for someone else
Sometimes
a bad day comes from an inward focus.
When we think all about ourselves, we are likely to be negative and
focus on what isn’t good about ourselves or our lives. Doing something nice intentionally, reminds
us that it’s not all about us. Let’s
face it; it is fun to make others smile!
4.
Brighten your space
If
you are in a dark area, brighten it up!
Open the windows on a sunny day, turn on lamps and overhead lights if it’s
dark outside. No one can cheer up in a
dreary, dark setting.
5.
Find some inspiration
Whether
you find an inspiring Scripture passage or an inspirational quote, give
yourself a boost of perspective. Here
are a few good places to look:
The Bible - John
10:10; John 16:24; Proverbs 17:22;
Helen Keller - "Keep
your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “When you get to the end of your rope. Tie a knot and hang on.”
Mark Twain - "The
secret to getting ahead is getting started."
Winston Churchill - "A
pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the
opportunity in every difficulty."
6. Act
out your desired attitude
If
you find yourself stuck in one attitude, do something different. Sometimes actions can override
attitudes. Smile when you are sour and
you may begin to feel happy. Go for a
walk when you are angry and you may begin to enjoy the day. Act out your desired attitude, and your
attitude may adjust to your actions.
7.
Plan for success
Focus
forward instead of on the present. If
the present is unbecoming, then focus on changing the future for the
better. Make a new goal to work towards. Plan for something exciting and begin
preparing for that time. A future focus
can improve your present attitude.
8.
Surround yourself with positive company
Nothing
zaps your attitude more than dismal company, but nothing improves your attitude
more than being around a positive person.
Find someone who inspires you and make them a part of your life. Also, stay clear of those who bring you down
and make you feel worse about your life and encourage a bad attitude.
9. Be
productive
Nothing
brightens a mood like a job well done.
Get off your duff and get moving!
Clean the house, clean your car, clean off our desk, or do a load of
laundry, fold it, and put it all away.
If you are in a bad attitude and can’t shake it, couch potatoing it will
not solve your attitude problems. Make
something happen and watch your bad day dissolve away.
10. Choose
your attitude intentionally
Contrary
to popular American opinion, we are in charge of our actions and our
attitudes. Our actions and our attitudes
are our choice, not to be blamed on our parents or any other person. We decide how we act and how we behave. Choose well.
If you don’t like your attitude, change it.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Green Birthday Party Ideas
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| Vintage 'Eco Green' Party Pennants - Merry Go Round HANDMADE |
green party ideas
I scoured the web for ideas on green birthday parties. Here are a few themes that surfaced in my search:
Dinosaur Birthday Party
Frog Birthday Party
Bug Birthday Party
Pink & Green Birthday Party
Money Birthday Party
Lepracaun Birthday Party
Shamrock Birthday Party
Picnic Birthday Party
Green Train (Percy) Birthday Party
Caterpillar Birthday Party
John Deere Birthday Party
Then finally, my husband and I had a breakthrough. Green . . . green . . . a GREEN birthday party. We decided to "Go Green" and plan an environmentally conscious and friendly party!
We have only just begun planning for my son's Going Green Birthday Party, but I will post more as I go along!
Here's a generic copy of the invitation we e-mailed to his guests:
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
How to Arrange Picture Displays on a Wall: Six Stylish Designs
I hope you enjoy these six frame arrangements that have been prepared especially for my blog readers! Remember if you want your own custom Room E-design which includes a frame arrangement design, check out my Etsy Shop Designing Life for more details!
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| Seven 4 x 6 frames with connecting ribbon |
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| One 4 x 6 frame, two 5 x7 frames, and one 8 x 10 frame |
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| Four 4 x 6 frames and one 8 by 10 frame |
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| Three 4 x 6 frames, two 5 x 7 frames, and one 8 x 10 frame |
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| Three 4 x 6 frames and two 8 x 10 frames |
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| Four 4 x 6 frames and two 5 x 7 frames |
Friday, April 6, 2012
Tips for "Picture Perfect" Picture Hanging
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| Upcycled Frames by One Vintage Rose Etsy Shop |
Even though I have an interior design background, let me make one thing clear . . . my interior design teacher never held a class on hanging pictures. All of the sudden after completing four years of college with a BA in Art, I walk into a job interview and they ask me to hang some decorative frames on a wall. What?! Fortunately for me, I'm very resourceful. I took the tools provided and hung the frames on the wall. The only comment they made was that I hung them a little high . . . lol, I had overcompensated for my shortness and they were about two inches higher than they technically should have been.
Suffice it to say, I had to learn how to hang pictures just the same as anyone else has to learn. It takes practice, it takes attention to detail, and it takes a lot of patience. Alright, I guess it does take an eye for design to get the placement visually appealing, but I know you can do it.
Here are some tips that I've learned along the way that make picture hanging that much easier:
 |
| Stanley Measuring Tape via Amazon.com |
While this may seem elementary (my dear Watson), it isn't. We all think we are just that good and think that if we just eyeball it we'll get the frames hung at the same height. No. Not really. I'm not even that good. And yes, I learned the hard way. I have a wall that still haunts me (don't know why I haven't fixed it) . . .
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| Stanley 43-511 Level via Amazon.com |
Granted, most times I really can eyeball how straight a frame is by looking at it, but there are a surprising amount of people who absolutely couldn't hang a picture straight if their lives depended on it. Even when I think I've got the frame perfectly straight, this girl uses a level. So save your guest's nerves some strain and get those frames leveled out using a level.
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| Clothes Pin Marking Tool Via The Scrap Shoppe Blog |
Some pretty fabulous tools exist to help you get your pictures hung. For instance, the Hang & Level. You hang your photo on the tool, then press a little button to mark your nail spot. Even with this product, you still need a measuring tape and a level. This just saves you the torture of placing your picture frame up on the wall in the exact right spot, pulling it off, then missing the "mark" and hanging it crooked anyway. Been there, done that. Cool tool.
Alternate and cheaper option (thanks to The Scrap Shoppe Blog) . . . take a clothes pin and hammer a nail through it. Hang the picture from the nail on the clothes pin, hold the top of the clothes pin, place the picture where you want it hung, then push the frame towards the wall to leave a mark where you need to place the nail. Voila, cheaper = smarter!
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| Paper Bag Trick via BHG.com |
No paper bags are not just for groceries. I found this awesome little trick on Pinterest (originally from Better Homes and Gardens) and am in love. Place your frames on top of a paper bag (you may need to cut open and lay out the paper bag). Trace the frames and cut out the shapes. Take the frame shapes to your wall and use painters tape to attach them to the perfect spots on the wall. Move them around as needed to find the best placement. And yes . . . you still need a measuring tape and a level.
P.S. BHG says to use Kraft Paper . . . so let's just call using paper bags my cheaper version of the same principle.
use your imagination
Just because you've been at tons of people's houses where they hang one piece of art on an entirely empty wall doesn't mean you need to be that boring. Sorry boring wall folk . . . add some spice!!! Try making a collage of frames with pictures, landscapes, and creative photography. Create a zig zag of frames across the back of your sofa! Whatever you choose to do, just remember to be creative and use that imaginarium aquarium . . . (brain). Think out of the frame ;-)
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