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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Design Styles: Romantic

As a new series showcased on Meet Miss Jackson and I wanted to jump off with my favorite design style- Romantic - This is by far my favorite design style! Me and my boyfriend are supposed to be getting a place to call our own so I want this style to dictate the whole place! I may have to down play just a bit, because I am not sure my boyfriend is into the romantic theme for every square inch. Either way, if I had it my way, this post would be my blueprint! And maybe I can give you some helpful tips to achieve that feminine room you always wanted....c'mon you know you love it too!


I cannot get enough of romantic rooms! When I think of a romantically themed room it's not that I think of chocolates on my rose petals drenched bed, waiting for my boyfriend to come and frisk me, it's more of a style. I think of a light airy, beautiful, decadent, comfortable, feminine room. Here's what romantic means to me when it comes to interior decorating:


when I think of romantic, I think of...
lavish rich decadent light fresh feminine soothing soft

I read somewhere that a romantic bedroom should appeal to all 5 senses.With that in mind, along with some other things i've learned along the way, let me help you start your romantic room!
 
So what makes this space romantic?
curved legs big soft rug inviting all white canopy soft natural lighting neutral tones detailed mirror & wall decals ♥ 








white cabinetry detailed cabinetry fluffy drapes it's very feminine too with the pink colors not the most romantic room of them all, but I like it anyway




ok so this is more of a country/romantic kitchen but my dream kitchen is country/romantic. They have some of the same qualities: Less is More, Lots of comfy seating, White cabinetry


lots of comfy seating lots of white washed windows chandelier natural lighting white & neutral tones curved faucet I also love the black & white tile! It is so classic!



Lighting: Soft, Low & Relaxing. Scented candles are my best friend. I can tackle a lot of elements to achieve a romantic design. A delicious scent, along with a soft glow. Think of any lighting that will make you relaxed. Natural light, candles, lamp with a nice shade that will tone down the lighting



.calm pool cool colors inviting all white canopy soft artificial lighting sun set




. natural lighting curved furniture: headboard, end tables the fabric upholstered ottoman soft glow of the candles big beautiful rug ♥  neutral colors       



Colors: A basic rule of thumb when it comes to decorating any room, is to match textiles & patterns instead of colors. If you are going to match colors, use the same hue for each color. If you want to go with all one color, use all different hues of that particular color. For romantic rooms, you wanna go for softer colors, to achieve relaxation. I like the idea of pastels and muted colors, along with some white.

Your going to want something that is going to be soothing. Somewhere you wanna just take a load off and fall asleep! I know alot of designer's may say an important element of any romantic room would be all white/off white fabrics. Neutral's and white's do bring a sense of comfort but I think that the key word in there would "soothing" rather than "white". If your eye catches something soothing and it's not white, throw the white rule out the window! I think if there ever was a rule to soothing colors, it would be nothing bright! leave the brights out! Studies also show that purple is a a relaxing/calm color- that's the color of my room (:





Flowers: This is where I would go color crazy! Flowers are simple and romantic and make the room smell really fresh. This is an obvious one, flowers scream romance.They aren't only romantic to anybody that was born on the earth, but also feminine. Flowers bring a beautiful color to the room and also a great scent. I think they are a great way to bring another layer of color in what is a somewhat neutral room.

 


Fabrics: The more fabrics the merrier in romantic rooms. So that means big, long drapes, lots of pillows, big soft blankets (down comforters), canopies, huge area rug- How ever you wanna incorporate. If you had the money, (I dont) silk would be perfect for a romantic styled room! If you are broke like me, we can both just buy a couple small silk throw pillows. Every romantic room should have silk!

So think: silk, pillows, drapery, big soft rugs, etc click here to learn how to pick out a good/inexpensive rug.
     




Windows & Draping: Lots of them! as with any room, but esp. with a romantic one, you want to be able to control the light that comes into the room. Weather your window(s) is open or closed and how much light you let in or out.You want to be able to feel completely relaxed and the room should make you feel like you can stay in bed all day! That's where to drapes come in- you can leave them open or close them obviously.  Windows will obviously let the fresh air in. Weather you have 1 small window or plenty of big windows, dont forget the drapery! A romantic room should have lots of flowy fabrics.  The bigger and thicker the drapes, the better- it gives the room that extra comfort & richness.      

quick tip: When installing your drapes, hang them as close to the ceiling as you can get. This will draw the eye up which in turn makes your room look and feel much bigger & higher than it is.





--If your window don't go all the way to the ceiling, hang your drapes up there anyways. This will draw the eye upwards which in turn will give the room a more roomy feel to it.

Curves are sexy: Im not talking about a bean bag chair (unless you like them, then go for it!) I mean curvy furniture. Legs on a desk, lamps, chandeliers, furniture legs, molding, or anything else for that matter. Try to stay away from straight lines. Think of those as more masculine.  Anything curvy or round brings a feminine element to any room.





Candles:I prefer scented candles just because the better the room smells, the more likely you are to relax in it and enjoy your surroundings! Also the light the candle gives off, dim and soft lighting, will put you in that mood your wanting out of the room.


Add Embellishments. As the old saying goes diamonds are a girls best friend still holds true when thinking about a romantic room. Adding them to a picture frame, or even re-vamping the chandelier you already have by hitting it with some white paint & hang some tear-drop crystals on to it. Trust me, you can be-dazzle anything you want (: Just don't go over board, like I probably would.



Detail, Detail, Detail!: I dont know if this is just my particular style or what, but I think im gunna add this rule, simply because it's my blog and I make my own rules here, as you should too!


Rules: There are no rules! If bright colors are relaxing to you, then go for it! Any of my rules are meant to be broken if you want to. They are more or less just guidelines for you along the way- they are suggestions, and you are human and im not your mom. You can do whatever you like!



*quick disclaimer* I went to school for Architecture & Interiors so this is something I was always passionate about, and now I know I thing or two to tell you guys about (:

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Sprinkles & Glitter is........

yep that's right, my 2nd blog has got a new name! I changed it because I want this to be an extension of me, Erica Jackson. You may read my beauty blog, Meet Makeup, you may follow me on twitter @MeetMissJackson, you may write me an email at MissJackson8088@aol.com- hell you may even know me from facebook, Erica J. So where does Sprinkles & Glitter fit in? Yeah, it may fit my love for desserts and art (among other things) but I wanted this blog to fit in with the rest of my social networks, and I also didn't want to be confused with Sprinkle of Glitter. I knew I couldnt have been me to make up such a cute name! haha-

When I first opened this blog I knew I wanted it to be about interiors, DIY, recipes and the like. This blog will still be about interior's, cooking, baking & everything else I said it was going to be about in my first post- I wanted my second blog to be more about me- A bit more personal, yah no?

So you will find everything you thought you would find and more. So I hope I dont scare everyone away with my crazy life AND I also hope I can have to courage to open up and write down all of my thoughts that im sure the rest of you have, solve my problems and inspire everyone else to solve theirs.

This isnt my main blog, Meet Makeup is my first born child and gets most of my attention (but I love them both equally!) I'm not on this blog all the time like I am the other - (can you tell?) so if you wanna really keep up with me, please head over there! But you cant have one w/out the other, so I urge you to stay here too!

Thanx for the support from everyone too! I knew that red velvet hot chocolate would be a hit! Can't take credit for the recipe but I can take credit for finding it! haha! 

Monday, July 11, 2011

Red Velvet Hot Chocloate

I know it is almost the middle of July and nobody's really wanting to drink anything hot, but...I came across this recipe on this blog here and I couldnt help but want to spread the word about this lovely hot chocolate. I think this is probably what the Dessert God drinks- (picture is courtesy of Une-Deux)

Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
Yields: 4 servings

4 cups whole milk
1 dash water
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. red food coloring
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 - 4 tbsn. whipped cream cheese, room temperature

In a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream and sugar. Whip on medium speed with the whisk attachment for 2 - 3 minutes. Just before peaks form, add the cream cheese and whisk for another 2 minutes. Taste and add more cream cheese to taste. Be careful not to over whip though, or else you'll have butter! In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Add a splash of water and the chocolate chips, constantly stirring gently. When almost melted, add the red food coloring and stir. When the chocolate chips are thoroughly melted, pour the hot chocolate into mugs and top with the whipped cream.


Enjoy! I know I will (: Thanx for stopping by!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Welcome!

Hello fellow bloggers! Some of you may know me as MeetMakeUp (or) Erica J! If you do know me as MeetMakeUp, you know that my previous major was Architectural & Interiors, I have been blog surfing and loving all of the Cooking, DIY, Crafts, & Interiors blogs so much! I decided to jump in! This blog is mainly about Cooking, Organization, Interiors, along with some things on my other blog such as Healthy Lifestyle, Books, and Day2Day Life Stuff among other things! If your a girly girl and love all things that come with the territory I hope you check out my other blog at MeetmakeUp.BlogSpot.com  which is about Makeup, Skin Care, Fashion, Hair, Reviews. Hauls among other things as well! I am new to this type of niche. (DIY etc.) so bear with me and it may be a bit of a slow start!  I hope u all enjoy and stop back to say hi!