The Glorious Sunflower - the Fourth Sister in a Native American Garden

In one of my earlier blog posts I wrote about the Native Americans' Three Sisters Garden (corn, beans and squash ) but I neglected to tell you of the Fourth Sister...a very important member of this family!

This is from Hubpages: 

"Fourth Sister, didn't look anything like her other sisters, although she was as tall and as slender as First Sister (corn) . That seemed fair to all, because Third Sister and Second Sister shared similar but different features. They could climb and run, while their other two sisters were forced to stand tall and proud."

Mother Sun explained that each sister had her job and each had to benefit from and protect one another.  But Fourth Sister's job was most important of all -- for she was the guardian of the North, planted firmly, to protect others from the robbers who soon would come.

The fourth sister was the elegant sunflower.

The Sisters are known to the Native Americans as the “mothers of life”  but they all need each other to survive. 

• Corn uses the nitrogen supplied by the nitrogen fixing roots of the beans and provides a place for the beans to climb.
• The squash suppresses weeds and keeps the soil shaded and moist.
• The prickly leaves of the squash provide a deterrent from four legged raiders of corn.

So what does the Sunflower do?

Taiyo Sunflower (click here)

The sunflowers keep the birds from devouring the corn.

How? Well, true sunflowers exhibit the heliotropic habit of following the sun through the day but when they are full of sunflower seeds they stay facing the east.

Thus when sunflowers are planted to the north of the garden patch, the birds see the sunflowers first thing in the morning sun and dine on the sunflower seeds rather than the corn kernels....
 

from Rainy Side Gardens

The FOUR SISTERS celebrate the harmony of nature and bring abundance to farmers and happiness to the well fed home.

By the way, the true giant sunflower is used as an emblem of the philosophy of Spiritualism.

They see the sunflower as forever looking to the light and applaud its unique arithmetic: supposedly each sunflower has 12 sets of leaves ( months in a year) , 52 yellow petals (52 weeks in a year) and 365 seeds (365 days in a year). I cannot verify this but that is the story..... I hope it is true.

Here is a wonderful farmer talking about his sunflower field - the birds are very happy here!

 

 

Bathroom Decor Ideas

Bathroom Decor Ideas.

Tile to Tile
Glass accent tiles bring color and versatility to the party. Metal tiles are also gaining in popularity — with stainless steel, bronze or copper adding gleam to backsplashes and more. There are also new faux hardwood porcelain tiles that give you the look of wood with the practicality of tiles.

Mirrors Mirrors Mirrors
This look seems to transcend styles from traditional to modern to farmhouse and more. You can layer the mirrors to add depth, use different angles and sizes to create surprise, or just simply build a clean geometric grid. Beveled edges and glitzy frames bounce the light around even more.

RURAL/URBAN ... OR IS IT URBAN/RURAL?

Imagine a careful blend of rustic, hand-hewn woods and chunky stone with salvaged architectural features and industrial-chic fixtures. It’s a jazzy, funky look that can be as mellow or invigorating as you choose.

TOWEL WARMER 
They have them at the spa so, why can’t you have one at home, too? Well, now you can step out of the shower and wrap yourself up in a soft, warm towel for little cost and effort. From stand-alone units to complete built-ins, your plumber can find a unit to fit your bathroom space and decor. Banish the brrr and engulf yourself in the mmm.

DRAMATIC MIRRORS
The matching pedestal sinks and oval mirrors seemed like a good idea at the time, but sometimes you just need to see what you’re doing. Replace the two mirrors with one large mirror that spans the wall. In less than a couple of hours, your local glass dealer can remove the old mirrors, install a big mirror, and provide countless options for including a decorative frame, or not. Either way, a big mirror gives your bathroom a much more spacious feeling, brightens up the room and can add a little bit of drama.

Hot Tub /Hydrotherapotic BATHS
The bath is the centerpiece of the entire room. It just makes sense to maximize the bathing experience with a hydrotherapeutic tub. It’s also the biggest single element in the bathroom. You can’t miss it, so it’s worth the money to select a style that really speaks to you and stands out. With our deep pool of designs and price categories, Aquatic provides the optimum number of top-quality features and benefits for every dollar spent

Bathroom colors

Color is the easiest w.ay to make a big impression. You can change wall color to go from soothing to dramatic, bold to minimalist. Here are a few tips on incorporating color into your space for a bath with a pop of color.

Playing with contrast is a great way to play with mood. A bold color scheme with high contrast — like Kelly green and stark white — creates a vibrant, invigorating feeling. Going monochromatic, with different values or intensities of the same color, gives an elegant, soothing impression. Dark walls can create a handsome, masculine appearance and allow white fixtures to stand out.

More is sometimes more. Neutrals will always be a favorite for a spa retreat. But recent bathtrends have been towards more color in more places. For ideas, consider Pantone’s 2010 Home & Interiors Color Trend Forecast, which includes palettes inspired by artisanal farmer’s markets, bold African landscapes and the night sky.
 If you are unsure about a color, consider giving it a try in easy-to-change items like toweling, curtains or soaps. But even if you paint a wall the “wrong” color, it can always be painted again. And make sure you always test out your chosen colors with your chosen lighting — ican make a real difference in tone and hues.Try a pop of unexpected color in an unexpected place: your bath. Our Serenity Air collection comes in premium color options and some surprising combinations, including red, black, cashmere and sterling silver.

decorating your home with paintings, framed pictures

Decorating your home with paintings.

Nothing will make your new house feel more like home than adding your personal artwork. Hanging photographs, wall art and collectibles will bring your own personality and drama to any room. The first step is to pick the most important pieces you want grouped together. Avoid the clutter of displaying every piece you own, and instead choose the pieces that fit your taste and mood as of now. It is an easy update to any room to switch out pictures when your mood changes.

Once you have the sizes of each piece decided, lay out the grouping flat on the floor before attempting to hang on the wall. Experiment with placement and overall size, until you come up with the layout that suits you and the pictures the best. Since our eyes appreciate order, it is best to design your pictures in an overall square or rectangle. This allows you to vary shapes and sizes in the set box. The only time you should stair-step your artwork is if you're hanging them on a stairway wall. If placing the grouping above a large piece of furniture, a good tip is to put larger items above the smaller ones to balance out the overall focal point.

Height is essential to the overall look of your artwork. Hanging a print, or group of prints, too high above a piece of furniture can leave the two segments disconnected. A good rule of thumb is 6-8 inches above furniture. And, if placing the grouping on a blank wall with no furniture, a guideline to uphold is to place the top of the lowest piece 58 inches above the floor. This ensures a solid, average eye level of the people who will be viewing the artwork. Although, if you’re using art that is small in overall size, and in an area where it will be viewed from a sitting position, you can also place the art at seated eye level.

Spacing is also a vital key when placing art. When grouping multiple pieces together, leave at least two inches around each frame on all sides, making sure that every open space is consistent and even. Also, keep in mind every other object in the room. Every item plays a roll in the overall design. Keeping a balance between artwork, furniture and other items such as lamps is key.

Choosing the right hardware to hang your priceless artwork is a crucial factor as well. Picture hooks are much more stable than basic nails. Hooks are designed to redistribute the weight suspended from them, pushing the weight into the wall as well as down. Hooks are usually sold according to the weight they are able to hold. Use at least two hooks, spaced about half the width of the frame. Unless you’re hanging something that is more than 60 pounds, you won’t need to bother using anchors.

With any picture or piece of art, it is important to protect it to ensure it will stay beautiful for many years. Always request that acid-free materials and UV protected glass be used when having your pieces framed.

Also, pay attention to the lighting of where you want your art to be hung. Never place your pictures in direct sunlight where the rays will destroy the picture and the frame itself. And, be careful of the heat when hanging pictures above the fireplace.

The artwork you choose, and how you choose to hang it is, of course, up to personal discretion. Hanging art is one of the easiest ways to make any new house your home, making you feel comfortable, and giving your guests a glimpse of your personality and style.

Decorating tips

 decorating tips

Before starting to decorate your interior you need to first put together your own ideas and keep in mind the goal you wanna achieve even if you are decorating or transforming your home interior to a new look, secondly remember some tips.

Pale colours give a feeling of space – just as black clothes are sliming, dark colours make rooms look smaller. This is not necessarily a bad thing but if you want to create a light and airy feel then pale colours are best.

Never have too much of a good thing – If you are new to interior design then a simple principle you can try is the 75-25-5 rule. This rule, believed to be invented by the Greeks, states that a room should contain 75% of one thing, 25% of a related thing and 5% of a contrasting thing. For example looking at this from a colour point of view you could try light blue walls, and dark blue furniture with some cream cushions.

Incorporate some Feng Shui – Feng Shui is the Chinese art of balancing the energy in your home and getting it right could mean that you’re luckier, wealthier and healthier. For example in the bathroom the basic premise is that you need to balance the water energy with earth energy, so you need to paint it warm earthy colours, dress the room with earthy items such as pottery, and decorate the room with plants or fresh flowers.

Don’t rely on trends - By all means consult interior design magazines, but you’ll find that most top interior designs will not rely too much on the latest interior design trends. Although they may look great, they will also date quickly, so try mixing classic interior design with your own style, you can then use the latest trends to give your room a touch of added interest. Following this tip means you won’t need to redecorate every couple of years.

Create a mood board – Before you put paintbrush to paint you should try and decide on a whole look for the room you are redecorating, and that’s where a mood board can help. All you need to do is get a piece of paper and stick on pictures of the interior style you’d like to create, as well as colours, textures and even some samples you think will work well together. You can then use this as your guide to help you makeover the room as a whole from the colour on the walls to the texture of the furniture .If these tips have inspired you then why not check out our local search facility that will help to find everything you need to complete your interior design vision.

Zen Gardens and the Water Dividing Stone

The "Water-dividing Stone" is placed at the bottom of a Japanese garden cascade where the torrent splashes evenly. (Mizuwake-ishi)

The mizu wake stone is symbolic of the mythical carp that, through unwavering effort, climbed to the top of the waterfall to become a dragon, a regular teaching parable in the Soto Zen monastery.

This stone is essential for all wonderful cascades...the sound it makes as water hits it is reason enough to place one there!

Ideas for Quiet Outdoor Spaces

Double Cascade by Jan Johnsen

Roberta Chinsky Matuson is an expert on increasing profitability by maximizing employee contribution. Her website is www.yourhrexperts.com. She writes that quiet people are often the most productive, explaining that,

Being quiet strengthens focus and calms others.

Being quiet gives you the space to delve deeply into ideas.

She says," at the end of the day, it’s not about the noise one makes, but what one actually gets done."

So it follows that a workplace should provide quiet spaces that encourage productivity!

I hereby suggest to Google, Apple and Microsoft, among other businesses that they include Serenity Spaces for their employees to work in....(I can show you how to create them)

A few ideas:

Cascades and fountains

Shaded benches or nooks

Reflexology Paths to enhance concentration.

Zig Zag Bridges

and lots of outdoor outlets!

Interior decorating...10 easy ways

Interior decorating..10 easy ways

If you're thinking about redecorating but aren't sure how to begin, this article is the right place to start! Do some research, make a budget and organize your ideas before you embark on your interior design journey. Keep reading this post for more great tips!

Always consider how long you intend to live in your home before you embark upon a large interior design project. If you are not going to be living in your home for at least five years, then you should be as neutral as possible when designing it. Something you think looks great may not seem so to a future buyer.

By installing a new faucet in your kitchen can greatly improve the appearance of your kitchen. Don't forget to decorate wall when you are designing your rooms. Blank walls are not attractive. Using a beautiful picture or an arrangement of photographs gives your room a finished look. Balance any artwork with other features in the room. Black velvet paintings will always age poorly, so be sure to avoid them. Keep in mind the usage of the room space when you are planning a design. For instance, when decorating your child's room, you should consider bright and vivid colors because they'll match his or her personality. But those colors won't work in a library for instance.

Tuscan Home Decorating Guide Click Here!!!

Dress up your walls with good artwork. Good artwork can make a boring room more exciting. Consider the overall mood of your current room, and look for artwork that will match the feel you are going for. For the best impact, hang the artwork roughly at eye level.

If you're planning on painting a room, don't rush! Make sure that you really like your color choice before you are stuck with it. Compare many samples with your decor and give it a few days before you decide. See how everything comes together under different lighting conditions. You may find that you don't love a color quite as much as you did at first. You can apply color to change the look and feel of a room. A white ceiling will open up a room and make it appear spacious. To create the illusion of a higher ceiling, paint the ceiling with a receding color such as white or some other very light color.

Think about what your children want when designing their rooms. You might not realize what they can reach and what works for their size. You need to make all of these items accessible to your children. Aim to view the room like your child would. Most importantly, make sure you eliminate possible hazards.

Get your creative juices flowing with framed pictures. They are just as much part of the decor as everything else. Don't be fixated on only straight lines. Hang the art in some really unique ways. Utilizing white space on the walls will present exciting options for enhancing or changing the feel of the space.

Consider applying wallpaper to only 50% of a wall. It can cost a lot of money to redecorate walls. Use wallpaper on only a fraction of your wall to save money. Put a bold border around the wallpaper and then paint the other half of the wall with paint to compliment it. You can easily make your home feel stylish with this method, without breaking the bank.

When you are shopping for window treatment, you should ensure that they are what you want to put up. Curtains are generally focal points in a room, so the pattern and color are crucial to your decision. Staying current with decorating style trends is an important interior design tip. You wouldn't want to appear to be stuck in the 1970's with outdated decor. See what others are doing to their home nowadays.

For a great update, add a skylight to a room in your home. These lights can bring in light and open up your rooms. Skylights are a great addition to any home, and this is why you want to add in something like this.

Interior design could be a daunting task and it may feel as if you need to use a lot of money. This is not true. If you're ready to take things slowly and plan ahead, you can transform the look of your home on your own terms and in your own time. Remember these tips to create your dream home!

Bedrooms

Bedrooms