The holiday shopping season is in full swing. Need a little gifting inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite gift guides from around the web:
Domino Magazine’s list of 50 gifts under $50. This list is full of hand-picked items from the luxurious to the whimsical.
Etsy has gift guides for everyone from significant others to the environmentally sound. That means hand-made gifts for everyone.
Design*Sponge has a great wish-list for the guys on your list, created by an actual guy. And a fabulous compilation of must-haves from other bloggers.
Add to:
Creating beautiful faux finishes on your walls has never been easier. The hardest part is picking out the paper as there are so many colors and finishes to choose from. You won’t need special tools, and you can work in small increments of time, since there is little clean up or prep time involved. People won’t believe you did this yourself, and you won’t believe how easy it is!
Start by tearing the paper into random, irregular shapes. I like to tear up a roll while watching television or sitting around with friends. I put torn pieces into two piles: one for those that have a straight edge, and one for those that don’t. If you want your walls to have a veined look, let the underside of the paper show once in awhile. I do a little of both, depending on the color I’m using. For example, the Tuscan Red script paper has a gray underside, which looks really pretty with the red colors. Some of the lighter colors have a white underside, which looks like grout when layered. I’ve done walls with and without the underside showing, but you need to decide before you start tearing. It looks great either way, but you’re the designer! Do a few sample pieces before you tear up an entire roll. That way you can decide what looks best for your project.
When you’re ready to begin, just dip a piece of the paper into warm water for a few seconds. Some of the PaperIllusion kits include a tray like the one pictured here, but a bowl of water works just as well. I change the water every half hour or so. You can start anywhere, but I typically begin at the top of a wall and work my way down and out. If you start at the top, begin with the pieces that have a straight edge.
Now for the fun part. Apply the torn wet paper in an overlapping manner to any clean, dry surface. You can even use PaperIllusion wallpaper over paneling as long as the grooves are 1/4" or less in width. Once you’ve overlapped and positioned your piece of wet paper, just use a smoothing tool to press it into place and a damp sponge to remove excess water. That’s all there is to it. Just keep applying the paper until your surface is completely covered. I usually work for an hour or so at a time, take a break, then go back to it.
Once you get your shells home, and before you do anything with them, they need to be thoroughly cleaned. I usually use a very weak (10 to 1) solution of bleach in very warm water. Put your shells in a container and cover them with the warm water/bleach and let them set for about 10 minutes or so. Then rinse very thoroughly so you’re sure none of the solution is still on them. As you rinse each one, let it on a soft towel where they can be left to dry. At some point (a few hours is good) turn them over so they dry well. There is a very thorough article outlining cleaning on 
Now you have your nice clean shells, what are you going to do with them? You could put them in that shoebox and shove them to the back of the storage cupboard, or you could enjoy them. One of the simplest and highly effective ways to decorate with shells I ever saw was a a friends grandmother’s house. The grandmother in question had been collecting shells for decades, with one or more trips a year to the beach. She used most of the shells collected to ring a tree near her patio. By the time I saw it, the shells were an inch or two thick ringing a sizable maple for several feet. (The attached picture is not of that particular tree, but will give you the idea).
You can get pretty glass trays and pillar candles in colors to match your room nearly anywhere these days. And, unless you actually live near the beach, you’ll want to get some craft sand. Once you have those elements,You’re ready to start. Place your candles on the tray, then put an even layer of sand around them, not too deep, you’re not looking to fill the entire tray. Now you can start placing your shells. If you have a large showpiece shell, place that one first. Other than that, just start with the larger of your shells you plan to use, going from the base of the candles outward. I will then usually fill in spots with smaller shells. You don’t want to try to pile too many on, or you will find that you are always trying to restack them. The accompanying photo shows a large tray with multiple candles, I have also made a nice small arrangement with a single pillar, positioned off center on a 6" base. One thing to note is you want to keep your glass candle holder simple, so that the eye is drawn to the shells. I usually choose clear glass, or a very muted green or light blue.
One of the easiest, and in my opinion prettiest, ways to display your shells is with a small basket of them placed on a side table or a shelf. You will want to keep your basket size proportional to the size and number of shells you have to display. Start with your larger or plainer shells on the bottom to give you a base for the smaller, prettier ones to show on top. If you have a large conch shell or starfish, angle it up from the side and back of the basket so that it can still be seen. You can also do this type of arrangement with a bowl or a tray, or, any container you choose — for my desk at work, I keep shells in a glass candy dish.
You can stay as simple or get as fancy as you like with a picture frame. For ease of completion, I would say to start with one that is already finished for your first effort. Wood is a better material for the frame to be made of, but you can go with any color or finish, but simple will look better in the end. While you might be able to use this idea with a metal or plastic frame, you will likely be much happier with the results on a wood frame. Once you have selected your frame, choose some complimentary shells that you want to attach to it. You can go all the way around it, some just at the bottom, the four corners, or however you like. Work over newspaper to protect your surface and use your hot glue gun for this project. You will be much happier with your finished product if you do a dry placement of the shells before gluing them in place. Once you know where the shells will go, begin gluing them around the frame. (BE CAREFUL: Hot glue guns can burn you, exercise caution when using one.) Even though hot glue does dry quickly, to ensure you don’t have any problems, allow your new frame to sit over night before placing on display. For your next venture you might want to consider a frame you finish or paint your self to get a truly customized look. You will be amazed at the wide selection your local craft store will have. The possibilities are limitless. You can also decorate the edges/frame of a mirror with shells.
I love the look of a shell wreath, but was intimidated to try one as I was sure they were too complicated. But, it doesn’t have to be. For a project like this, more than any of the others, you should have a large number of consistently sized shells to start with. For your first wreath, go small, get an 8" or 10" foam wreath base from your craft store. Because I don’t want any white to show through, I would say to give it a quick coat of a light colored spray paint. Another necessary tool is a hot glue gun. I can’t imagine having made a wreath of any type without one. I suggest you lay out all of your shells that you want to use near your work area so you can see what you have to use. (It might also be helpful to arrange them in a circle to play with size and color placement.) Start at the top, gluing your shells in place as you go around, filling in around the circle once, then going back in for your next row. (BE CAREFUL: Hot glue guns can burn you, exercise caution when using one.) Once you have the front of your wreath filled in with shells, you’re nearly done. You can now add some ribbon all the way around the wreath, or simply an accent bow. Turn your wreath over and attach a wire hanger into the back and secure with a dab of hot glue. Even though hot glue does dry quickly, I would suggest you still let your wreath set overnight before hanging it. Now, just sit back and enjoy…and start planning your next wreath.
My love of the old Dracula movies inspired me to design my own Gothic bedroom. I so much admired the medieval looking decor that I started really looking at how those castle bedrooms were decorated.
Your Gothic bedroom should have an old look and feel to it. Think dark and dusty without it actually being dirty and filled with cobwebs. Believe it or not, you can acquire this look with a new coat of paint.
Throughout this page there are pictures and descriptions of Gothic and Medeval Bedrooms to help you get a good idea of what a Gothic Bedroom should, or could, look like.
Your Gothic bedroom window treatments should be long, full, and billowy with sheer panels of lace peeking out through satiny, or velvet, curtains. They should flow and flutter with the breeze of an open window and yet look majestic when sitting still.
This is a wonderful depiction of a gothic bed.
