Modern

Win Dream House

Win Dream House

HGTV has come up with one of the best offers US citizens and residents can ever think of. Coming up with the best dream houses in the most exotic locations, you may just be tempted to take part in the sweepstakes. There are constant prize offers from HGTV and one can apply online which is not a difficult process. The option of applying by post is also there. In case you need any ideas about the styles of houses they are offering, you can browse the website and have a look at the photos of different houses with different floor plans.

Hgtv Dream House: Dream Home

Each floor plan is tagged as HGTV Dream home 2010 or HGTV Dream home 2009 etc. You can follow up these tags and look into the details of the floor plan and also the facilities that come along. This is a great fortune to be won if you get lucky. The dream homes are all offered with spacious rooms and enough bathrooms and bedrooms. The kitchen is all furnished and comes with the latest facilities one can expect.

Hgtv Dream House: Your Balcony

Some of the houses are offered with a nice front yard, foyer, kitchen etc. There are even houses offered with a home theatre.

Win Dream House

Win Dream House

HGTV has come up with one of the best offers US citizens and residents can ever think of. Coming up with the best dream houses in the most exotic locations, you may just be tempted to take part in the sweepstakes. There are constant prize offers from HGTV and one can apply online which is not a difficult process. The option of applying by post is also there. In case you need any ideas about the styles of houses they are offering, you can browse the website and have a look at the photos of different houses with different floor plans.

Hgtv Dream House: Dream Home

Each floor plan is tagged as HGTV Dream home 2010 or HGTV Dream home 2009 etc. You can follow up these tags and look into the details of the floor plan and also the facilities that come along. This is a great fortune to be won if you get lucky. The dream homes are all offered with spacious rooms and enough bathrooms and bedrooms. The kitchen is all furnished and comes with the latest facilities one can expect.

Hgtv Dream House: Your Balcony

Some of the houses are offered with a nice front yard, foyer, kitchen etc. There are even houses offered with a home theatre.

It's A Steam World, After All

To open with a philosophical topic, I give you a statement which appeared in the first issue of Steampunk Magazine, the Catastrophone Orchestra and Arts Collective:

Steampunk is a re-envisioning of the past with the hypertechnological perceptions of the present. Unfortunately, most so-called “steampunk” is simply dressed-up, recreationary nostalgia: the stifling tea-rooms of Victorian imperialists and faded maps of colonial hubris. This kind of sepia-toned yesteryear is more appropriate for Disney and suburban grandparents than it is for a vibrant and viable philosophy or culture.

    Though the statement was most likely intended to be derogatory, it was visionary indeed, for this concept has now come to pass.  I give you The Mechanical Kingdom, a collection of steampunk-ized Disney merchandise to entice collectors from a whole new market. (Or is that Disney-ized steampunk?)

     Five limited-edition (2,500 made first-run) steampunked Disney character pins are now on sale at USA Disney World parks.  There is also an available book that the creators penned to introduce people to what steampunk is, or rather explains the Disney version of it.  “The Mechanical Kingdom” pin set was released in April 2010 at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, and supposedly costs $195.   The next steampunk pin set will be released at the Sci-Fi Academy event at Disneyland Resort in Summer 2011.

      The Vinylmation Steampunk pocket watch will be packaged with a 3-inch figure that was inspired by the watch. The watch and figure combination will have an limited edition run of 750 and is scheduled for release in California and Florida in December 2010.

     The above image shows prototype figures from the upcoming limited edition "Vinylmation Steampunk" set created by Disney Design Group Artist Mike Sullivan. This set will contain six figures and will be released in early 2011.

     Some people say that these plastic items show that Disney does not care for either the Victorian Era or science fiction, but just wants to make some bucks.  This may be true, but I would like to point out that over the years, Disney has included steampunk themes in their parks (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea exhibit and Wild West-themed Frontierland at Disneyland) and many of their movies have embraced the steampunk genre long before it became "popular" (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, The Island at the Top of the World, Atlantis, and more).  Disneyland Paris itself is a veritable pantheon of Vernian attractions, rides, and exhibits with a "what if" scientific bent.  They have done more to bring steampunk to the masses than any other individual organization that I can name, even if they do make a killing doing so.  Besides, there isn't exactly a local store where collectors can go to buy items that were really made in the Victorian era (in most places).  Real remnants of the period are pretty rare.  (That sounds like a topic for a future post... hmm.)

   So, as ever, it comes down to what you enjoy.  If little plastic figurines make you happy, then snap them up!  If ya do not like them, then don't.  Either way, Disney's efforts may benefit steampunk; the more people who learn of it, the longer we will all get to enjoy its' presence and influence.  I hope you enjoy seeing these collectibles.  Send pics if you buy one and modify it to make it more steampunk.  *grin*

Home design ideas

It is always interesting to see how architects manage to create a truly modern , minimalist home are still very comfortable and livable . Germann Architekten marte.marte House for one of those houses. It looks like a monolithic concrete structure , but more than that. It has an air terrace with a large glazed reveal the landscape and the landscape of mountain, the terrace facing the pond integrated...

Home design ideas

It is always interesting to see how architects manage to create a truly modern , minimalist home are still very comfortable and livable . Germann Architekten marte.marte House for one of those houses. It looks like a monolithic concrete structure , but more than that. It has an air terrace with a large glazed reveal the landscape and the landscape of mountain, the terrace facing the pond integrated...

Designer to Watch-Erin Martin

We stumbled upon the work of Erin Martin the other day and we think we're in love! 

Her work is organic in a very sophisticated way.  The words "organic" or "sustainable" get thrown around a lot these days but very few people get it right.  We love her use of natural materials, muted colors and texture variety.

Her designs seem very original too-as no two houses are alike.

Here is a sample of her work:

To see more of her work, visit Erin Martin Design.

Tesla Triumph -- Hammered Brass and Copper Wire Steampunk Bracelet

Tesla Triumph bracelet by DreamSteam - for sale on ArtFire

     Whenever I see coiled copper wire, I think of the inventions of Nikola Tesla.   I believe the piece itself was a triumph of my ever evolving jewelry making skills, hence the name for this steampunk inspired bracelet.  

     So how did this piece come to pass?  I wanted to make another truly steampunk bracelet from scratch.  So I obtained my sheet of brass, cut it into strips, hammered it on my anvil, bent it into shape, and then removed any sharp edges. The brass clock gear at the center of the "cabochon" is vintage. To hold all of the pieces together, I came up with a wire-wrapping technique that was both strong and complimentary to a steampunk design.

     The bracelet has been "aged" to give it a rustic look; you may see verdigris greens, glowing copper reds, and grungy steampunk browns among the colors that the metal has attained.  To get the gorgeous patina on the brass, I used the vinegar and salt technique as described in a previous blog post.   It turned out splendidly!  I could have let it get even more developed, but I liked it the way it was and lightly waxed the metal to preserve it.

      I put a lot of time, thought and effort into this piece, and I hope someone else decides that they like it as much as I do! It will never be re-created exactly, even if I try to make another, as clock gears differ greatly.

     This bracelet is for sale in my ArtFire studio here (more pictures posted there).  If you like it or know someone who might, please feel free to Tweet it from that page or otherwise pass it along.  Thank you!

Wearable Orange/Copper Eyeshadow

I have been obsessed with MAC's Brash eyeshadow from the Limited Edition discontinued Spiced Chocolate quad.  This happened last summer as well.  For some reason I find it works really well with a tan and especially with blue or green eyes.  I mentioned this quad in my MAC Favorite Eyeshadows YouTube video and thought I'd include some pics.  More vibrant and orange than Amber Lights, less red than Coppering, Brash is a unique color which applies beautifully.  I wish MAC would repromote this shadow but a similar color could be achieved by mixing the colors I just mentioned.  

Brash on eyes

MAC Face & Body C6 on face

& Myth + Jazzed lipsticks

Shown above is Brash blended out with MAC's Texture eyeshadow.  This combination creates a more wearable look for those intimidated by orange eyeshadows.  

For an evening look I usually load this eyeshadow on and add black liner to the lash line & waterline.

So does anyone else wear orange eyeshadow or makeup in general? I am planning on purchasing Nars Taj Mahal blush which I'm pretty excited about! 

Thanks for reading

♥ Nikki

& thanks for all the feedback on my new YT channel! More videos to come shortly http://www.youtube.com/cocobella21

Creative Apartment and Home Interior Design Minimalist

This is a creative apartment. This apartment interior designed by Dutch architect, It features two floors and four people living there. Thank you for using lasers to cut the original panel in the kitchen and other parts of the apartment, the interior looks quite creative and unusual. In addition to laser-cut panels are also other things that make it unique, including a built-in storage solutions and furniture designer. Before the renovation, the apartment has a lot of room but became, transparent residential area full of light and air. Upstairs the master bedroom located next to large bathroom with tile structured from the end of Patricia Urquola, glass, and wood cabinets.

Home interior design


Kitchen design
Staircase design


Bathroom design

And the Winner Is....

Thanks to everyone who entered our Facebook contest for renaming our blog! 
And the results, are (drum-roll please):

First Place, with the winning suggestion of “Strung Out” is won by Sarah Stahl!  Sarah will be receiving a $100 e-gift certificate to beadaholique.com!

Runners Up, who will each receive a $25 e-gift certificate :

Kathryn Lane Ware Berkowitz for the suggestion “The Need To Bead”;
Karen Linhart for the suggestion “Beader’s Digest”;
and Kathy Kurke for the suggestion “The Bead Stringer.”

Honorable Mentions

Matt Diamond for “Beadtime Reading”
Andrew Thornton for “The Curious Bead”
Bridget Hodder for “The Venerable Bead”
Shantin Thigpen for “Hair of the Bead”

Congratulations to our winners, and thank you everyone for participating in our contest.

“Like” our Facebook Page and become follower of our blog to hear about more contests, giveaways and sales!

interior design photos

This is not your standard sofa set – it's interior design inspiration from Kube by Linea Italia. For living room design ideas, Kube is your all-in-one modern design essential for thousands of ideas to transform your home into your own private customized playground. Designed by Italy’s ZeroTreArchitetti, the modular design of Kube lets you put the pieces together as you please, using the individual and interchangeable seats, armrests and backs. And if you just can’t seem to make up your mind when it comes to layout, these awesome independent pieces can be reconfigured at any time, so your living room design can swing with your daily moods and changing needs. Kube is available with seven varying versions of arm rests, back-arm rests and arm-back rests.

interior design photos

This is not your standard sofa set – it's interior design inspiration from Kube by Linea Italia. For living room design ideas, Kube is your all-in-one modern design essential for thousands of ideas to transform your home into your own private customized playground. Designed by Italy’s ZeroTreArchitetti, the modular design of Kube lets you put the pieces together as you please, using the individual and interchangeable seats, armrests and backs. And if you just can’t seem to make up your mind when it comes to layout, these awesome independent pieces can be reconfigured at any time, so your living room design can swing with your daily moods and changing needs. Kube is available with seven varying versions of arm rests, back-arm rests and arm-back rests.

Modern Interior Design

As an interior designer, you must stay on top of all the modern trends. Once you leave school, you will need to do this on your own. Modern interior design can be fun and quite expensive. Interior Designers know the tips and tricks to keep expenses down without compromising the quality and creativity of the design.
Interior Designers know the best places to buy furniture, window treatments, blinds and artwork to compliment modern interior design. They also know the where to get the best accessories, nicest plants plus flooring and anything else needed. Many of these resources are obtained online.
Interior Designers have access to the latest design software so that they can plan virtual designs and layouts of your living spaces. If you are planning to do your own modern interior design then there are plenty of resources available to you on the internet. There are many articles on the subject, which can easily be found using your favorite search engine. Your local library may carry the latest books on do it yourself interior design.

Modern Interior Design

As an interior designer, you must stay on top of all the modern trends. Once you leave school, you will need to do this on your own. Modern interior design can be fun and quite expensive. Interior Designers know the tips and tricks to keep expenses down without compromising the quality and creativity of the design.
Interior Designers know the best places to buy furniture, window treatments, blinds and artwork to compliment modern interior design. They also know the where to get the best accessories, nicest plants plus flooring and anything else needed. Many of these resources are obtained online.
Interior Designers have access to the latest design software so that they can plan virtual designs and layouts of your living spaces. If you are planning to do your own modern interior design then there are plenty of resources available to you on the internet. There are many articles on the subject, which can easily be found using your favorite search engine. Your local library may carry the latest books on do it yourself interior design.

Interior Design

A living-room serves as the main room of the house; it serves as a multi-purpose room, which can be used for entertaining guests, to relax or retire at night and read a book, to watch a movie or TV, listen to music and much more. When playing the prime role in the house, a living-room needs to give the impression of a trendy, up-to-date yet extremely comfortable living space.