79 Days Until Christmas!

Posted on October 7, 2019

TREASURES. TREATS. TRADITION.
YOUR HOLIDAYS START HERE

          
I am not one to wish away October & November while pining away for Christmas Music, Hallmark Movies, Hot Chocolate & Santa… but I am one to start making a list and checking it twice in an effort to be with my family on Christmas Eve instead of at the mall!! And since discovering the San Antonio Christmas Showcase I can make that happen!
I spend one day checking off my list at the Christmas Showcase and I AM DONE!! I can grab a gorgeous wreath to take to my mother-in-law as she graciously hosts, a wooden name train for my new nephew, matching shirts for my sis and I, unique glass cutting boards for my neighbors and the list goes on! Hunting accessories, furniture, candles, handbags, jewelry, pottery, holiday decor & more! AND! While I am there, I can eat delicious food, including wine and tamales, from local vendors or take some to go; and, on top of that, leave with my live poinsettias and Christmas tree!! This show HAS IT ALL!!
This year’s Christmas Showcase is coming up November 23-24, 2019 at The Freeman Expo Hall!
For more information on the show, visit www.christmasshowcase.com or https://www.facebook.com/christmasshowcaseseries!
 
 

Update & Save

Posted on September 3, 2019


If you are ready for change, ready to update or upgrade your home with a remodel, come to the Corpus Christi Fall Home & Garden Show, Sept. 13-15 and find everything you need!
Check out Structure Builders to get quality work for up to $750 off! They have been providing quality home improvements while creating everlasting memories for their home owners and team members since 1994. They are geared to delivering homeowners with an unbeatable service, product, and warranty for all their home improvements and have specialists in each of the following services: siding, windows, bathroom, kitchen, room additions and patio covers to ensure you get the best outcome. Their estimates are always FREE and under no circumstances is there any pressure to sign. All of their proposals are guaranteed for 30 days from the day you receive it in your email; this allows you to think about your investment before making such an important decision.

 

Bring The Party to the Patio!

Posted on August 5, 2019

 
Come to the 10th Anniversary Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show and visit with Paradise Grills to get that dream backyard started! They have simple affordable solutions to get you hooked up! They offer Outdoor Kitchens, Grills, Hibachis, Fire Features, Tiki Huts & more!!
Paradise Grills is America’s largest outdoor kitchen manufacturer, providing the strongest built outdoor kitchens using welded steel frames that have lifetime structural warranties! And at this show you get 2018 floor model pricing for the largest savings of the year!! They have outdoor kitchens that fit all styles, budgets and back yards!
These products are ten times stronger than traditional metal stud frames often used by general contractors. Most outdoor kitchen manufacturers typically use thin metal studs held together with self-tapping screws, increasing the chance of warping, sagging or cracking your stucco wall or tile countertop. Their welded steel frame design surpasses industry standards and makes our outdoor kitchens more durable and sustainable for prolonged outdoor use.
If you are ready to start that project and get that backyard right before you host for the holidays (yes, they are around the corner), come on down the Orange County Convention Center August 23-25 for the 10th Anniversary Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show!
 

FREE ADMISSION – Home & Garden Show! – Thanks to Spa Manufacturers

Posted on July 1, 2019


Looking to make some home improvements to your home this summer?! Look no further! The best Home & Garden Show is back!
The Volusia County Fall Home & Garden Show will take over the Ocean Center August 9-11, 2019 and this year admission is FREE, Courtesy of Spa Manufacturers!
Solve all your projects in one place in one weekend at the 9th Annual Volusia County Fall Home & Garden Show! You’ll find the latest products and services for your home and landscape: builders, remodelers, contractors, building materials, decks, pools, spas, entertainment systems, storage solutions, all kinds of plants, landscape displays, kitchenware, home accessories and so much more.
At this year’s show, you will also find:
-DIY & Container Building Workshops!
-Celebrity Garden & Landscape Expert Ahmed Hassan
-A Huge Plant Sale Courtesy of Big League Garden Center
-Bee Seminars & Bird of Prey Shows
-Emergency Preparedness Seminars
-And Family Fun!
Yard Games, Jewelry Making, Kids Building Workshops & Wine Glass Painting!
-Plus an appearance by Pete The Cat
About the Admission Sponsor, Spa Manufacturers:
Come see them at the show for a hot tub or swim spa! They have been building high quality inground and portable hot tubs for over 37 years strong right here in the USA. With more than twenty-five models available in our wide selection of beautiful colors and also your hot tub may be fully customized …including personalized therapeutic jet configurations to meet your exact needs! Come check out their Revolutionary Year Round Swim Spa at the show, it is their best seller, plus they have all floor displays available at discounted prices! Check them out at the show!
 

Not Just A Pretty Space!

Posted on March 29, 2019


When most of us think of Interior Design, we think of new decor, maybe an accent wall, minimalizing or organizing a space, possibly recovering or replacing some furniture. Well it is all of those things, but when you do your research and use resources like your local Home & Garden Show, you can hire a comprehensive firm like our Central Kentucky exhibitor Decorating Den Interiors, and get all that & more!
Visit the Home & Garden Show for a team with:
• Award winning designers
• Kitchen, bathroom and fireplace remodeling
• Custom window treatments
• Furniture, rugs, lighting and accessories for every style and budget
• Custom, Amish-made and top quality cabinetry
The 44th Annual Central Kentucky Home & Garden Show will be at the Lexington Center April 5-7, 2019 and you can find Decorating Den Interiors in booth #1709 along with hundreds of other products and services to help you get your PROJECTS SOLVED! Plus, there is fun for the whole family, with kids activities, birds of prey shows, pet adoptions, a Kentucky Proud section and the BBB Auction!
 

Design For Your Lifestyle is Medicine

Posted on January 4, 2019


Have you ever thought about your home, office, or even garden as being a place that can bring you health and well-being- by simply its design?
The design of things around us- impacts us daily. From a frustrating interaction with the coffee pot – to an overstuffed armchair- how things are designed and function from day to day impact how our hopes, dreams, attitudes and bodies respond. A new look at design is suggesting we create “intentional settings” and “productive environments” allowing for growth.
A question to ask – Is your home or office set up to encourage growth physically, mentally, and socially? Or, does it promote a sit on the sofa kinda evening? A change in space plan and furnishing arrangement can give you a place to roll out a yoga mat. A change in space plan and arrangement can also promote- starting that book, painting, sewing project, dream vacation board, class you’ve wanted to take…. It is suggested, all of these life projects need a place to breathe with us during the day and night.
Design has traditionally been a sofa, 2 chairs, a coffee table…….etc, etc, etc.  It does not have to be “that” anymore says Bean at Lifestyles by Bean. Your home can inspire your life and positively impact your journey. From losing weight to finding a new path, she has firsthand experience about the importance of design that is tailored to your personal needs and aspirations. Interior design should be more than “pretty”. Most people don’t realize interior design affects muscles and emotions. So, what do we need to aesthetically change to be more productive, creative, and out of a routine?
Thirty percent of people are physically affected by how their interiors are designed. Lighting, inspiration, ease of flow, scaled furnishings, task and wellbeing areas, and a place to stretch your back are things we often dismiss because we continue to live with a preconceived notion of what “good” design is. It wasn’t until the 1960 when scientists started to question the link between human behavior and our natural and built environments.
Are you raising children? Trying to lose weight? Looking for your passion? Wanting to reach that next level in your career? Bean suggests we look at how our interiors are set to start us on our personal journeys. Consider having a fresh fruit and vegetable station in the kitchen to change eating habits. Or, lose that back ache by losing your coffee table.
Bean will be at the Orlando Home Show addressing this topic. Are the interiors you’re creating today facilitating the life you want to live 10 years from now? Design has a lasting impact on its audience. The design decisions being made today will impact you in the pursuit of individual well-being and within a larger society- tomorrow.
Visit Lifestyles by Bean and SODO Home for a talk about the future of Design on the Celebrity Stage at 2pm Saturday the 12th at the 11TH ANNUAL ORLANDO HOME & GARDEN SHOW.
Bean will also be available for 15 minute design consultations at the show. Stop by the SODO Home Design Center to sign up for the limited availability.  January 11th, 12th, and 13th at The Orlando Convention Center.
 
Photo Credits – Matuzak Photography

Gnome How To Make Your Neighbors Laugh?

Posted on December 14, 2018

  
These are absolutely hilarious! Our exhibitor Studio Oz, LLC carries these hilarious, unique yard gnomes!
Don’t take yourself or your yard too seriously, everyone can always use a good laugh!
Especially great for The Walking Dead fans or those with darker senses of humor!
Who knew there were garden gnomes who are NSFW!
Ha, come see them at the Orlando Home & Garden Show to see those I was not allowed to post!
A personal favorite is ‘Flippy’ 😉
 

Navigating The Three Cooking C’s

Posted on August 10, 2018


Navigating The Three Cooking C’s
Caribbean • Cuban • Cajun
If you are in a dinner rut, like most folks tend to get, or you are looking for new flavors to serve your family, check out this awesome recipe for Jerk Chicken by Pirate Jonny! Pirate Jonny and his wife found a need for good quality rubs, seasonings and sauces to help those ‘flavor challenged’ individuals, spice it up! With Jonny being from Florida and his wife from New Orleans they created perfect flavors to make your meals have a delish Caribbean, Cuban or Cajun flare! And what it won’t have is gluten, MSG, too much sodium or any unnecessary additives!
Pirate Jonny’s Grilled Jerk Chicken
Yields (4) Servings
 
Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken – Split & Flattened
3tbsp – Pirate Jonny’s Jamaican Jerk seasoning (hot or mild)
1/4c – distilled white vinegar
2tbsp – Soy Sauce
 
Directions:
Prepare hot coals or gas grill with smokebox. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Jamaican Jerk seasoning, vinegar and soy sauce and mix well. Add prepared chicken legs (rinsed & patted dry) and turn each leg to coat evenly. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate at least four hours.
Remove chicken legs from marinade and place the chicken on a grill rack. Grill the chicken for 30-45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F with a meat thermometer, and juices run clear from the chicken when pierced. When cooked through, remove from grill and allow to rest while preparing the glaze.
In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, add the ingredients for the glaze and bring to a boil, then immediately lower heat and reduce the liquid to an almost syrupy glaze. Pour glaze on chicken when it comes out of the oven and serve.
 
Pirate tips:

  • Use the marinade recipe on the bottle of Jamaican Jerk!
  • Use their Syrena’s Seduction with ranch dressing as a dip or add a little to the glaze for an extra kick!

 

Think an Interior Design Consultation is out of your budget?! Nope!

Posted on July 27, 2018


Orlando’s best Home & Garden Show is back at the Orange County Convention Center and offering FREE Interior Design Consultations, by The Design Diva, Natalie Kight! It is easy to feel intimidated by your interiors or know where to begin, prepare to take advantage of this amazing opportunity in the following ways:

  1. Bring photos, drawings and/or measurements of your space.

The more you have for us, the more we will be able to give you. It’s hard to imagine a space without some sort of visual, even for a designer. Bring in what you have. Any existing pieces or floor plans you want to work with. It’s hard sometimes – but any samples of existing colors within your space that will not be removed during the updating process are extremely helpful with selecting new colors for a space.

2. Have a budget in mind.

This is a big one. Although budget plays an extremely important role in decision making, clients rarely figure that part out first – but they should! Having a budget in mind not only gives your designer a ‘stopping point,’ but ALSO helps their creativity flow. Anyone can create a gorgeous space with $2M dollars in their pocket, but if you give your designer a realistic budget you can actually work with, you’re more likely to get a design you can achieve.

3. Take the advice given.

We get it – We haven’t seen your space and don’t quite know your colors. But you came to us for help – so take it! The most important part about receiving a free design consultation is actually taking the advice that is given. Too often, clients will resist the change they were looking for in the first place. Not every decision is going to be comfortable, some will take some getting used to. Design affects the way we live our everyday lives. Change your home’s design, and change yours.

 
Come on down to the show you know, The 9th Annual Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show, August 10-12 at the Orange County Convention Center to be inspired by amazing interiors and landscape seminars, plus tour over ten tiny homes and learn how to pare down and live a more simple, ‘tiny’ life! And this show is for the whole family, there are kids activities going on all weekend from cooking classes and character meet & greets to art workshops and author readings of great kid’s books; and more! You don’t want to miss this!

Do Tiny Houses Intrigue You?

Posted on July 20, 2018


Have you seen the shows on TV or run across them on social media and thought, wow, I like the idea… but how can someone live in that… permanently? We get it! We had the same thoughts, so we asked home remodeler, tiny home builder and tiny home dweller, Matthew Collins for some insight! Collins owns and operates Tiny3GB, a division of Third Generation Builders, LLC.
Matthew’s family of six underwent a drastic downsize from a three story, 3400 sq. ft., home in a Charleston suburb HOA neighborhood, to arrive on one fenced acre and a home of less than 900 sq. ft. in the small town of Ravenel, minutes south of Charleston towards Edisto Beach. During their renovation they lived in a two bed one bath single wide without a washer, dryer or dishwasher.
They learned that there were a lot of “things” they could live without and continue to purge their lives of things they no longer need.  The Collins family made three moves before they finally arrived in their finished home.  Each move made them question: do I need this thing enough to haul it from here to there once more and store it for weeks or months?  Many things did not pass this test, leaving their load much lighter today.
When we asked Matthew how he managed to get his four children on board with giving up their “things” and moving to a tiny house, he shared the following ideas:

  • Get the kids invested and involved; we had four yard sales, as I recall, and the kids were allowed to keep the proceeds of any items they contributed to the sale.
  • Give yourself time to see what you miss; we put everything but the bare necessities for about 6 months as we renovated. That put “things” into perspective and we truly enjoyed each other’s company and enabled us to see what we really missed and what we didn’t.
  • Turn purging into sharing; we were able to give quite a few items away on free cycle and Craigslist that we no longer needed finding it really is more blessed to give than to receive. The children went with my wife as she gave a lady our second set of Christmas decorations (we had 2 different color themes and rotated every year—crazy—why did we do that??). The lady was hosting Christmas for her daughter and family for the first time and it was indeed a joyous occasion. Also, we were able to gift our piano to a small country church and that too was such a joy when the two members came to pick it up.
  • Get excited about the ‘pros’ of the change; our family was very excited to be moving from a small yard in a big neighborhood to a big yard in a sparse residential area. Plus, they loved the idea of a “small chicken farm” which has evolved into raising Kinder Goats as well. And now, in our final phase of transformation we are staying on the farm building tiny houses and not fighting Charleston traffic across town to renovate and repair homes.
  • Our downsizing experience really helped us to focus on prioritizing our relationships with those we love over any worldly possessions. It has been a sweet time in the life of our family and we are grateful for the journey.  We have seen God work in our lives and our circumstances.

If you’d like to explore the idea, and some tiny houses for that matter, we’ve got just the thing! The 9th Annual Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show has a Tiny House Village in which you can tour about a dozen Tiny Houses! Homes will be coming from as far away as Texas. There will be homes of all shapes and designs; and all less than 400 square feet. The Tiny House Village will also have fun family activities, including a Farmer’s Market! AND!! These builders do not want to drag these houses back home, so bring your best offer and buy a home on the spot.
NOAH (National Organization of Alternative Housing), the sponsor of this feature, is the premier third-party inspection and certification company for tiny houses on wheels. Addressing the challenges of life, fire safety, structural efficiency and energy efficiency in the construction of the homes, Noah is like the building department for Tiny Houses on Wheels. NOAH will have representatives at the Village to answer your questions regarding national codes and construction of your tiny house on wheels. Also, some challenges faced with Tiny Houses are placement, insurance, and funding, so NOAH will have representatives on site with solutions to all of these!