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Mix Patterns Like a Pro With These Designer-Inspired Tips

April 21, 2016 by

One of the easiest ways to add an eclectic, bohemian flair to your apartment’s decor is by mixing prints and patterns. From the living room to the bedroom, these designer-inspired tips and tricks will show you how to properly incorporate multiple patterns without going overboard.

  1. Think in threes. Many designers agree that odd numbers of design elements, particularly threes, have a positive impact in a room. When you’re choosing how many patterns to use in your throw pillows or gallery walls, keep this rule in mind.
  2. Choose a base color. Instead of mixing prints without a plan, start by choosing one main color to tie them all together. If you know that all of your patterns should incorporate the same shade of orange, for example, you can be sure that they’ll clash in stylish way.
  3. Mix sizes. Instead of mixing similar sized patterns, such as multiple oriental rugs or too many delicate stripes, try to use various sizes. Think one small gingham pattern with one large, bold paisley print.
  4. Combine eras. To avoid making your home look dated, combine vintage prints with something modern and geometric.
  5. Take a step back. Like with any decorating endeavor, it always helps to take a step back and check out your work to see how things look together.

Mix Patterns Like a Pro [HGTV]
Mix and Match 101 [House Beautiful]
How to Mix Patterns in Your Home [Real Simple]

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How to Decorate Your Apartment Using Wallpaper

April 15, 2016 by

Have you ever considered using wallpaper to decorate your home at Reserve at Garden Oaks? Wallpaper scraps and temporary wallpaper can be used for DIY projects in pretty much every room in your apartment. Follow these unique tips to add some style and color to your space!

  • Add some brightness to your lamp shade by sizing a piece of wallpaper around the lamp and using hot glue or tape to place it on the shade.
  • Spruce up your dresser, bedside table, bookcase, or any other old piece of furniture by using modern wallpaper to accent its drawers or shelves.
  • Using removable, damage-free wallpaper, cover the wall behind your bed. Voila! Instant focal point that demands attention.
  • Create a focal piece of artwork for your apartment by framing a large piece of wallpaper to hang on your wall.
  • Make coasters to place on your tables out of small scraps of leftover wallpaper.
  • Use wallpaper to line the bottom of any serving tray and polish it for a creative way to showcase your food.
  • Line the drawers in your bathroom with wallpaper to add a splash of color that is quick and easy to clean.
  • Get creative in your kitchen by dressing up your refrigerator with a retro style temporary wallpaper.

7 Wallpaper Craft Projects (That Don’t Involve Walls) [Reader’s Digest]
10 Uses for Wallpaper Scraps [This Old House]
9 Unexpected Ways to Decorate With Wallpaper [Good Housekeeping]

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How to Create a Soothing, Zen-Like Bedroom

April 8, 2016 by

Your bedroom should be a calm, relaxing sanctuary to escape from the stress in your life. Changing up your lighting, the material of your fabrics, or sprucing up your decor can create the spa-like atmosphere you've been dreaming of. Follow these tips to bring more peace and tranquility into your bedroom.

  • Use soothing, soft colors like light blue or mint green and pair them with white or ivory accents to achieve a fresh feel.
  • De-clutter your bedroom to give yourself a clean, simple space.
  • Add dimmable lights or multiple sources of light so you can soften the lighting to give your room a more mellow feel.
  • Make your bed the focal point in your room. This will allow you to really enjoy going to bed and will make it easier to feel relaxed.
  • Treat yourself to luxurious sheets and bedding. Use quality fabrics with a thread count of at least 300.
  • Use sheer curtains for your windows to allow light to come through for a bright and airy feel.
  • Add a few candles or an oil diffuser with a lavender or chamomile scent that will help to relax yourself.
  • Use relaxing music or nature sounds to create an ambiance.

Decorating a Spa-Like Bedroom [SF Gate]
How to Turn your Bedroom into a Luxurious Retreat [Freshome]
5 Easy Updates for Creating a Spa-Like Bedroom [Donco Designs]

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Did You Know You Can Make Ice Cream With Just One Ingredient? It’s Bananas!

April 1, 2016 by

It may sound too good (and too easy) to be true, but you can make low-calorie, homemade ice cream with one simple ingredient: frozen bananas! Still unsure of how it works? Follow these simple steps to learn how to make this simple and healthy dessert after tonight’s dinner.

  1. Start with overripe bananas. While you can use yellow bananas, they won’t have the same sweet flavor and soft texture.
  2. Peel the bananas and cut them into slices. It doesn’t particularly matter if they’re all uniform.
  3. Place the banana slices into an air-tight container and freeze them in the freezer, preferably overnight or all day while you’re at work.
  4. Blend the now-frozen banana slices in a food processor. If you don’t have one, a traditional blender would also work, thought it may be a bit more difficult to remove the ice cream once it’s done.
  5. Blend until a soft-serve ice cream consistency is achieved. It may look a bit like frozen banana oatmeal at first, but after blending for five minutes or so, you’ll start to see the ice cream take shape.
  6. Eat your healthy homemade ice cream! Like any good ice cream, you can also top it with your favorite sauce, sprinkles, or even fresh fruit and nuts.

How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient! [The Kitchn]
One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream [Chop Chop]
5 Delicious Banana 'Ice Cream' Recipes [Women’s Health]

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Super-Simple Ways to Refresh Your Apartment’s Decor

March 25, 2016 by

If you feel like your apartment's decor is looking a little tired, don't fret. You don't have to save up for months to complete a total overhaul of the place; instead, you can make a few quick tweaks designed to have the ultimate impact. Here are five ideas to get you started.

  1. Reupholster a dying chair. If you consider yourself a solid DIYer, then reupholstering a chair should be no large feat for you. Perhaps you already have a comfy chair at home that you can reupholster, or maybe you'll have the added perk of being able to find one at your favorite thrift store. Either way, head to the craft store to choose a fabric you like, then use an online tutorial to help you make over your chair.
  2. Paint your throw pillows. There are countless ways to spruce up throw pillows, from slapping on a new case to painting them with colorful stripes. Use the method that suits your style (and time constraints).
  3. Make over your headboard. If it's your bedroom that needs the facelift, start with its focal point: the bed. You can recreate your headboard easily and cheaply, in various ways. For instance, hang a curtain panel across a metal bar for a contemporary twist on the typical headboard.
  4. Mix and match different rooms' accents. Maybe you already have all the components you need to update your apartment within its four walls. If you have certain decorations that distinguish a room, try swapping them between other spaces in your home to create a new aesthetic. For example, you could move the end table from your living room into the guest room, and repurpose the bedside table as a new end table instead.

10 Ways to Redecorate Without Spending a Dime [Bob Vila]
Give Your Bedroom a Money-Saving Makeover [All You]
How to give your room an instant makeover [Homedit]

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Did You Know These Cool Facts About Tea?

March 18, 2016 by

There are few things more relaxing than kicking back after a long day with a hot mug of tea, but how much do you really know about the brew that you’re sipping? From its numerous health benefits to its rich, global history, there’s a whole lot to learn about this fascinating beverage!

  • Tea bags were originally designed in the early 1800s. They were created to hold samples of tea brought to America from India. Today, tea bags are much more commonly used than loose-leaf varieties.
  • Darjeeling tea is the world’s rarest tea. It gets its name because it's grown in the Indian region of Darjeeling. While many types of teas are labeled Darjeeling, only 1/4 are actually from the region!
  • While tea styles like black, green, white, and oolong taste very distinct, they all come from the same Camellia sinensis plant. It's the way the leaves are harvested and treated that determines their color and variety.
  • Herbal teas are not really teas at all. Rather, they're infused fruits, flowers, plants, and herbs.
  • China is the world’s largest tea producer. The country supplies 29% of the tea in the world. India comes in a close second.
  • The Chinese are not the world’s largest tea consumers. That title belongs to the United Arab Emirates!

Tea Facts from A to Z: 26 Things You Didn’t Know About Tea [Fine Dining Lovers]
Tea Fact Sheet – 2014 [Tea Association]
10 Interesting Facts About Tea — Iron Chef America Ingredients 101 [Food Network]

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Fun DIYs to Give New Life to Unwanted Household Items

March 17, 2016 by

Instead of tossing out those household items that seemingly have no use anymore, give them new life by repurposing them into something useful. This not only helps you to save a bit of cash, it also helps to reduce your waste production and show a little love to our environment. Here are a few fun DIYs for making over unwanted household items!

  1. Turn empty condiment bottles into squeeze bottles for dispensing pancake batter. Just make sure you thoroughly clean them out first—no one wants to eat ketchup-flavored pancakes!
  2. Turn an ornate vintage picture frame into a vanity tray. Simply add a pretty fabric instead of a photo, lie it flat, and fill it with perfume bottles, makeup, and more.
  3. Clean the fine “hairs” out of corn on the cob by using a dry toothbrush that you don’t use anymore.
  4. Hang an old rake upside down and use it as a rustic necklace holder.
  5. Portion toddler snacks perfectly by filling the cubes in an ice cube tray. They are the perfect size for berries, pretzels, cheese cubes, and chocolate candies.
  6. Purchase a vintage window shutter from a garage sale or thrift store and use it to display important memos, mail, and photographs. Simply clip wooden clothespins along the slats and even add S-shaped hooks for keys.

50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things [RealSimple]
6 New Uses for Old Things [Country Living]
25 New Ways to Use Your Old Stuff [HGTV]

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5 Delicious Herbs Every Home Chef Should Have in Their Kitchen

March 11, 2016 by

If you’ve ever cooked with fresh herbs, you know that they make a world of difference in the flavor of your dish. Luckily, herbs are very easy to grow right on your windowsill at Reserve at Garden Oaks! Here are 5 must-have herbs that will add depth and complexity to pastas, meats, salads or even beverags.

  1. Chives. Even if you don’t have much light in your kitchen, chives are sure to thrive. These mild, onion-like herbs are a great substitute for onions in a dish, and they’re easy to grow from an already-established plant from your local nursery.
  2. Mint. For everything from fruit salads to summer cocktails, mint is a wonderful addition. This hearty herb grows very quickly and heartily, and it also gives off a wonderfully fresh scent in your kitchen.
  3. Oregano. For kitchens with bright sunlight, oregano is a must-have herb. This rich herb is perfectly paired with Italian dishes.
  4. Basil. While basil isn’t the easiest herb to grow indoors, it is very worthwhile in dishes like pizzas, pastas and salad dressings. Just keep a careful eye on it in the wintertime.
  5. Rosemary. If you’re a forgetful plant-owner, rosemary is the perfect herb for you. Because this one prefers to stay dry, it only needs minimal watering. It’s also perfect to add to chicken or fish dishes.

The Nine Easiest Herbs to Grow Indoors [Divine Caroline]
10 Herbs To Grow Inside All Year Long [Rodale's Organic Life]
13 herbs to grow in your kitchen [Oregon Live]

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Hosting a Party at Reserve at Garden Oaks? Check Out These Handy Portion Planning Guides!

March 4, 2016 by

One of the hardest parts about planning a party is deciding how much food to prepare. It’s every host’s fear to imagine running out of appetizers, but it’s just as frustrating when you’re left with way too many leftovers! Before your next gathering, check out these helpful tips for portion planning and avoid these entertaining mishaps.

  • Consider this: on average, a guest will drink between three and four drinks every four hours or so. You might also want to keep in mind that a standard bottle of wine equals four to six glasses, while a two-liter of soda equals about 10 glasses.
  • For appetizers, imagine that each person will eat approximately five per hour. If you’re serving only appetizers and hors d’oeuvres, add two or three to that number.
  • For your main course, choose things like meat and vegetables to make it easy to dole out portions. If you’re serving something like stir-fry or pasta, imagine that the average person will eat approximately a four-ounce serving.
  • Once you get to dessert, it’s safe to assume that each person will have only one piece — although it’s always smart to get a few extras just in case.

How to Estimate the Food You Need for Your Memorial Day Picnic, Barbecue, or Pool Party [Delish]
How to Calculate the Amount of Food You Need for a Party [Livestrong]
Food & Beverage Quantities to Order [Planning Helper]

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Lesser Known Facts About America’s First President, George Washington

February 26, 2016 by

Born February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, George Washington is best known for his role as America's very first president, taking office in 1789. However, there's more to the life of this natural born leader, including a pivotal position as a general and commander-in-chief during the American Revolution. Here are three lesser-known facts about George Washington.

1) After Washington's father died in 1743, young Washington looked to his older brother, Lawrence, for guidance. Lawrence helped foster George's interest in military service and the arts.

2) Washington found great pleasure in the maintenance of his vast estate, Mount Vernon, which he inherited upon his brother's death in July 1752. Eventually comprising 8,000 acres, the estate hosted a variety of crops, orchards, and livestock. Washington's final years were spent here; he died in 1799.

3) A difference in political opinion caused a rift between Washington and his Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson advised Washington to side with France during the French Revolution, but Jefferson chose to remain neutral. The disagreement caused a breach between the two politicians that was never mended.

George Washington [Bio]
George Washington [Colonial Williamsburg]
George Washington [White House]

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