Three Interior Design Rules Everyone Should Know

While you may not be an interior designer yourself, there’s no reason why your home shouldn’t look like you are. Even if you live in a rental, there are a few simple things you can do that will completely transform the look of your home. Here are three interior design rules that everyone should know.

  1. Move slowly. It’s very tempting to buy furniture all at once when you move into a new space, but that’s actually one of the most common interior design mistakes. Be thoughtful about the things that you incorporate into your home to ensure that you like them a few months (or years) down the line. Even if this means living with a bare living room for a while, it’s almost always worth it.
  2. Avoid buying sets or furniture all in one place. If you purchase furniture in a set or buy an entire room’s decor from one store, it’s always very easy to tell. To avoid creating a monochromatic room that looks like a child’s bedroom, mix and match materials, colors, and textures from a few different sources.
  3. Don’t fight against the quirks. Many spaces, especially rentals, have built-in architectural details that you simply can’t change. Rather than trying to hide them or “fix” them, purchase furniture that works with your home’s little quirks. For example, add a window seat against a bay window to maximize the views rather than covering it with a large sofa.

6 Basic Interior Design Rules [Suite]
The 3 Principles of Interior Design [HGTV]
The 7 Rules of Interior Design [Zillow Blog]
5 Rookie Mistakes You’ll Never Make Again [Apartment Therapy]

There Are Over 50 Ways to Get a Workout at Your Body Center

Take on a fitness challenge at Your Body Center, a yoga and Pilates studio in Houston’s Heights neighborhood. Knowledgeable and encouraging instructors make for a great experience, and many students realize significant weight loss and fitness improvements within a month. Over 50 classes are offered each week, and all skill levels are welcome. Classes include Yin, Forrest, and Vinyasa yoga styles, as well as Pilates ball, band, and cardio classes.

Your Body Center has two large studio spaces with walls of windows that let in plenty of natural light. One is kept hot for the specialty classes, like hot yoga. Unlike traditional Bikram, the instructors practice along with the students and encourage you to listen to your body, taking breaks as needed. Rates are reasonable, and new students can take advantage of special discounts. Mat and towel rentals are available. The center also offers therapeutic massage and other bodywork services.

Your Body Center
3605 Katy Freeway
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 874-0800
www.yourbodycenter.com
www.yelp.com/biz/your-body-center-houston-3

Unique Museums in Houston, Texas: Don’t Miss ‘Em!

Houston is a modern American city, filled with forward thinkers and groundbreaking artists. Take advantage of the modern amenities with a visit to two of the most unique museums the city has to offer. One will have you shooting through space, while the other will have you cruising down the highway in a shoe-shaped car!

Space Center Houston
Blast off with an interactive tour at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. This cutting-edge facility will have your imagination running at the speed of light by immersing you in the wonders of space technology. Hands-on exhibits put you right inside of a replica of the International Space Station, and you can even make reservations to have lunch with an actual astronaut, prepared by an award winning catering staff. After lunch, feast your eyes on a full-scale replica of an authentic space shuttle. This innovative museum is every kid's dream!

Art Car Museum
Houston's Art Car Museum, also known as the "Garage Mahal," is a unique art museum dedicated to car-related contemporary art. Here, you'll find sculptures that include a car shaped like a high heel, covered bumper to bumper in delicately placed seashells. There are no limits to the ways in which each car has been transformed into artistic masterpieces. Check the calendar for special events, or stop by during gallery hours for this modern display of art on wheels.

Sip a Texas Beer, Dig Into a Shrimp Po’Boy at Beaver’s

Beaver’s in Houston is located in a building that was once a traditional Texas icehouse, where communities would go to pick up ice and converse with neighbors over a beer. Working off of that history, Beaver’s is still a great place to meet with friends for a brew and now a meal created with ingredients found from the third coast.

Enjoy seafood dishes like the crawfish and crab cakes or a shrimp po-boy fried in cornmeal batter and topped with slaw and tartar sauce. Other crowd favorites include the nut burger made with brown rice, cashews, and walnuts; the beef brisket served with Texas toast; and the variety of macaroni and cheese dishes.

Beaver’s boasts a plentiful selection of Texas beers on draft, along with some creative cocktails and even delicious non-alcoholic “mock-tails." Beaver's is open until 10 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Beaver's
2310 Decatur Street
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 864-2328
beavershouston.com
www.yelp.com/biz/beavers-houston

Clever Uses for Mayonnaise Outside the Kitchen

You might think that you need to cut out mayonnaise in order to maintain a healthier lifestyle. While that may be true when it comes to your diet, mayonnaise has a number of creative uses in other parts of you life. Here are some of the most helpful and creative ways to use mayonnaise.

  1. Fix cracks in wood furniture. It seems unlikely, but mayonnaise is a great tool to fix cracks in your older furniture. Smear it over the crack and let it sit for a few days, and the oils will cause the wood to swell and fill in the space where the crack used to be.
  2. Condition your hair. You can splurge on the priciest hair mask at the beauty supply store, but few things work better than regular old mayonnaise. Coat your hair in mayonnaise and let it sit for a few minutes under a shower cap before thoroughly rinsing.
  3. Remove crayon stains from walls. If energetic children mark up your walls with their crayons, let mayonnaise soak on the stains for a few minutes and they’ll wipe right off.
  4. Clean tar off of your car. Smear mayonnaise on any parts of your car that are covered in tar, sap, or other sticky substances. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe the area with a clean cloth.

20 Uses for Mayonnaise [All You]
11 Home and Beauty Uses for Mayonnaise [Reader's Digest]
9 Surprising Non-Cooking Uses for Mayonnaise [Every Day]
10 Unexpected Home Uses for Mayonnaise [Wise Bread]

Happy Holidays!

We wish you and your loved ones all a very happy and safe holiday season.

Houston Dairymaids: A Gourmet Cheese Shop

Cheeses of all varieties can be found at Houston Dairymaids, a specialty cheese shop on Airline Drive. For the past seven years, Houston Dairymaids has brought local, hand-made cheeses unlike any other to the city’s specialty foods community, seeking out products made from unpasteurized milk to offer customers excellence in flavor. Working strictly with Texas cheesemakers sets this market apart from other specialty food stores, giving recognition to some of the state’s best cheesemakers.

Houston Dairymaids is open Tuesdays through Sundays to sell cheese, honey, Slow-Dough breads, fine wines, and craft beers. Learn the subtle differences between Scarmoza and Mozzarella or which cheeses pair well with your favorite wines. Houston Dairymaids is a great place to indulge in your passion for delicious dairy products while you stock up on your favorites or pick up a few to give as gifts.

Houston Dairymaids
2201 Airline Drive
Houston, TX 77009
(713) 880-4800
www.houstondairymaids.com
www.yelp.com/biz/houston-dairymaids-houston-2

3 Uncommon Uses for White Vinegar

If you want to make some steps toward a more natural, chemical-free household, a good place to start is with the cleaning products you use. Simple white vinegar makes a great replacement for many of your most frequently used cleaners and beauty products, and it’s completely natural. Check out these uncommon uses for white vinegar!

  1. Static Remover. To remove static cling from your clothing, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your washing machine along with your usual detergent. The acid in the vinegar will work against the static.
  2. Sweat Stain Remover. If your white t-shirts or gym socks are riddled with unpleasant sweat stains, don’t throw them away quite yet. Soak them overnight in a solution of one cup white vinegar and boiling water, and rinse them out the next morning to find your clothes clean and bright.
  3. Teeth Whitener. Brush your teeth once a week with white vinegar, and you’ll be left with pearly whites in just a few applications.

45 Uses for Vinegar [All You]
150+ Household Uses for Vinegar [Reader's Digest]
1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar [Vinegar Tips]

Happy Thanksgiving

We hope everyone has a wonderful day surrounded by family and friends! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sip Sake, Nibble a Godzilla Roll at Uptown Sushi

Like your raw fish in an uber-modern, elegant setting? That’s what you’ll get at Uptown Sushi.

Settle in with a martini, sake, beer, or glass of wine and a yummy starter like chipotle yuzu prawns or tuna tataki. If a plate of beautifully crafted raw fish is your thing, order the Godzilla Roll with salmon, white onion, fresh jalapeno, and green Tabasco, or the Spicy Yellowtail Roll with jalapeno, avocado, spicy sprouts, yellowtail, parmesan, tamari. The entree menu features sumptuous fare like Shichimi Snapper with shichimi spice, garlic and miso-chipotle beurre reduction, and Curried Chicken Karaage – ginger marinated chicken, deep fried and sauteed in curry sauce.

Uptown Sushi is open every day.

Uptown Sushi
1131 Uptown Park Boulevard
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 871-1200
uptown-sushi.com
yelp.com/biz/uptown-sushi-houston

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