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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Trend Alert: 8 Integrated Marble Kitchen Sinks

There's something inherently luxurious about an integrated sink (no grime-filled seams to agonize over), especially when carved from marble. Here are 8 covetable examples. Investigate more possibilities by perusing our posts on marble in the kitchen, including: 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Marble Countertops Remodeling 101: Marble Countertops Remodeling 101: The Difference Between Carrara, […]

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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How to Use a Garage More Effectively for Holiday Decoration Storage

With the holiday season winding down, it's time to start thinking about your post-holiday season pack-up.

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be draining, which makes it easier to take a few shortcuts by packing things away quickly and storing them anywhere.

Sure, that gets the job done quicker now, but it only makes the task of finding and unpacking all of your disorganized holiday decorations more time-consuming later.

Have a smart holiday decoration storage plan

By putting a little extra thought into how and where your holiday decorations will be stored, you can save yourself from some future headaches.

Garages are ideal for a lot of your holiday decoration storage needs, whether you're storing decorations for Christmas, Halloween, birthday parties, or holidays like the Fourth of July or Canada Day.

The garage has to be used the right way when storing your holiday decorations, however, in order the maintain the functionality of the space.

Use overhead racks for your holiday decoration storage

For the most effective use of your garage as a holiday decoration storage space, add some overhead storage racks.

Ceiling-mounted overhead racks take advantage of the vertical storage space in your garage's upper reaches that is typically underutilized.

In addition to maximizing your garage's storage space, overhead racks are also ideal for storing bulky items and things that are infrequently used…which describes unneeded holiday decorations pretty much perfectly!

Everything from storage bins filled with tree ornaments to artificial Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands to holiday lights to holiday lawn inflatables can be stashed up high.

Your daily routine can even run a little smoother simply by using this out-of-the-way storage space for your holiday decorations. There won't be bulky storage bins taking up valuable garage floor space, which makes parking more difficult.

And less floor clutter means extra space for keeping tools, sports equipment, and other items you use regularly more efficiently stored and easier to access.

Overhead racks that use the underutilized storage space in your garage's ceiling area keep your floor clutter-free.

Use plastic storage bins

Whether you're storing your holiday decorations in the garage or elsewhere in your home, always use plastic storage bins and containers instead of cardboard boxes.

Plastic storage bins are sturdier, stack easier and more safely, are easier to move around, and provide superior moisture protection compared to cardboard boxes. They're also not a fire hazard.

Some people prefer using clear plastic storage bins because it helps them to identify stored items quickly. That may sound practical, but it's probably a better idea to use non-clear, solid color containers with labels.

Holiday ornaments and lights, especially ones you're keeping for many years, can lose their color faster if they're exposed to too much light when stored.

Fabric bags specifically made for storing holiday decorations should be stored indoors if possible, due to the higher moisture levels garages commonly have.

Avoid storing these holiday decorations in the garage

While the garage is a perfect spot for many of your holiday decoration storage requirements, it's not the best storage area for certain items unless it's climate-controlled.

The extreme temperature fluctuations and excess moisture found in many garage environments makes them less than ideal for storing these holiday decorations:

fabric-based festive decorations and adornments (examples: tablecloths, Christmas stockings and hats, tree skirts)

candles (store them somewhere cool)

very delicate glass, crystal, and antique ornaments

food-based decorations

If you absolutely have to keep some fabric-based decorative items stored in the garage for any reason, make sure they're sealed tight in a plastic container. Wrapping items in acid-free paper or using silica packets to absorb moisture can help preserve the storage bin's contents.

Another reason to avoid storing fabric-based and food-based decorations in the garage is that they can attract pests.

Label your holiday decoration storage items

Try to keep all your stored holiday decorations together in order to make everything easier to find.

Many organization experts recommend using color-coded storage containers or container lids to simplify things (such as green for Christmas decorations or orange for Halloween decorations).

And even if you're being diligent and using color-coded containers, always be sure that everything is labelled.

Labelled containers eliminate the time-consuming guesswork that inevitably occurs when it's time to unpack your decorations and find what you need when decorating your home next holiday season.

Storing an artificial Christmas tree in the garage

Because of its bulkiness, an artificial Christmas tree's go-to storage spot in most homes will probably be the garage.

Don't leave an artificial Christmas tree uncovered in the garage because it'll naturally gather a lot of dust over the course of a year. Why add an artificial tree cleaning to your busy holiday to-do list 11 months (or so) from now?

When storing an artificial Christmas tree in the garage, definitely ditch the cardboard box it came in and invest in a proper plastic tree storage bin. Look for a container with wheels so it's easier to transport.

Tree storage bags are also popular, although they're less suited for a garage environment. Also note that white artificial trees or trees with those snow dusting treatments are prone to yellowing and shorter lifespans if temperature and humidity storage conditions aren't optimal.

While this garage is clean and organized, that poor artificial Christmas tree could really use a proper storage container.

Additional holiday decoration storage tips

When preparing your holiday decorations for storage, here are a few final tips you might find useful:

use bubble wrap or decoration storage containers (avoid wrapping decorations in newspaper, as the ink rubs off)

prevent string light tangles by using string light reels or even wrapping them around discarded wrapping paper tubes

declutter holiday decorations you haven't used for a few years (donate any items that are still in good condition)

make a list of what broken holiday decorations need to be replaced for next year

Get organized to start the new year

If you have a New Year's resolution that includes tidying up your home, start by storing your holiday decorations in an organized manner and somewhere that's out of your way.

We can help you create more storage space for your holiday decorations and anything else you need to store in the garage, in addition to making the space look much nicer.

Schedule a free in-home design consultation with Garage Living today.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

7 Garage Overhead Storage Tips That Help You Use Your Space Wisely

7 Awesome Automotive Gift Ideas for the Holidays

7 Proven Garage Improvement Strategies to Utilize in 2018

The post How to Use a Garage More Effectively for Holiday Decoration Storage appeared first on Garage Living Blog.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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How To Make The Most Of a Shiplap Accent Wall

In case you haven't heard, shiplap is the latest trend in interior design. We've already talked about this when we covered a few tips on how to add shiplap walls to a room and now we're back with even more great ideas. Before we get into details, let's quickly remember what shiplap actually means. Well, as it turns out, it's a kind of wooden board with grooves at the top and bottom which ensure a tight seal and allow the pieces to fit together snuggly. Such boards are often used when building sheds and barns and lately they've become quite popular in modern interior decor where they're used to create shiplap accent walls.

As it turns out, shiplap accent walls are exactly what we want to talk to you about today so let's start with this absolutely charming beach home designed by studio Geoff Chick & Associates. Shiplap is usually displayed horizontally but can also be installed vertically and you see here both options looking just great.

Shiplap can be used to spruce up a wall such as this one. What's particularly interesting in this case is the color which combined with the texture and the pattern turn this staircase wall into a beautiful focal point which suits this beach house in the most wonderful way. Check out thisoldhouse if you want to find out more about the house.

A shiplap accent wall can take many different forms and there are plenty of cool ways to customize the concept. An interesting idea comes from Bria Hammel Interiors. the studio which designed this charming shiplap fireplace surround.

Shiplap gives walls a finished look and is a great option is you want to bring a farmhouse vibe into your home. You can make the most of this look by extending it throughout the house. You could install shiplap on all the walls although that could be a bit too much so you could limit yourself to just the transition areas. Check out this design by Urban Grace Interiors if you need inspiration.

Even if all the walls in a room are covered in shiplap one of them can still stand out and become an accent wall. One option is to paint it using a color that contrasts with the rest of the walls. This bedroom can be a good source of inspiration in this case.

In the bedroom you can create an awesome shiplap accent wall behind the bed. This one decorated by Dawson Design Group has a built-in nook and light sconces but the design possibilities are infinite. You can even pick a cool color because, as you can see, the shiplap ensures a warm and cozy look.

Shiplap is not just for farmhouse-inspired decors. This is in fact a very versatile design feature which can look awesome in any type of space or decor. Check out this beach-style living room by Mawr Design for instance. It features a gorgeous shiplap accent wall that truly brings the space together in a wonderful way.

As you know by now, there are many ways to customize and interpret this whole shiplap accent wall trend. For example, instead of painting the boards white or some other color you can stain the wood and allow it to have a more natural appearance. This way you can create an accent wall that gives the space a lovely warm and welcoming look.

You can also shiplap to extend a focal point and to create a more cohesive interior design. In this rustic mountain retreat designed by LivingStone the bunk beds blend into the shiplap wall while at the same time contrasting with it.

The shiplap accent wall created by AMW Design Studio is super charming and we love everything about it. From what it seems, the boards have the look of reclaimed wood and this gives the decor a lot of character.

Shiplap can also be a nice alternative to wallpaper. It's simpler and some would also say it's also more practical and easier to install. It adds texture to the space and it makes the installation of decorations super easy. Check out this minimalist decor created by Chelsea Lauren Interiors as an example.

The post How To Make The Most Of a Shiplap Accent Wall appeared first on Home Decorating Trends - Homedit.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Reader Case Study: Grandmother Of Five Hoping For Financial Security and Funds To Travel!

Marie is an active, travel-loving grandmother of five who wants our help planning the remainder of her career and her retirement. We're headed to North Carolina today to make sure Marie can meet her goals of financial security coupled with fun!

Case Studies are financial and life dilemmas that a reader of Frugalwoods sends to me requesting that Frugalwoods nation weigh in. Then, Frugalwoods nation (that's you!), reads through their situation and provides advice, encouragement, insight, and feedback in the comments section. For an example, check out last month's case study.

I provide updates from our Case Study subjects at the bottom of each Case Study several months after a Case is featured. You all requested an easier way to track Case Study updates and I have heard your pleas :)! Here's list of all the Case Studies that currently have an update provided at the end of the post (and a hint that if you're a past Case Study participant who hasn't sent me your update yet, send it on over–your fans want to hear from you!):

Reader Case Study: Earn More, Spend Less, Or Both?

Continue reading Reader Case Study: Grandmother Of Five Hoping For Financial Security and Funds To Travel! at Frugalwoods.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Thistlekeeping

If you happened to be at the Atlanta gift market on the 12th floor of building 2 with a beautiful product line and a new book in the window you saw a random 5′ person with sparkling eyes and blonde hair and red lipstick and a grin as big as Texas standing out in the hallway and jumping up and down and pointing to her picture in the window.

That was me.

Seriously.

My favorite thing ever.

In the history of ever.

I would stand outside the booth and greet the hundreds of people walking down the hall and point at my picture and ask them if they ever met this person before. They would stop and stare and start laughing and say THAT'S YOU.

And I would say, “I know, right. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?”

If you need a visual? Oh, good. I have one. Just scroll to the end of the post. One of the people told me I was so happy they wanted to take my picture.

I'm making it my screen saver.

Just in case I want to remember what joy looks like.

And now?

Let's see what the internet has been up to while I was at market.

This is my favorite craft of 2019.

It takes five minutes and it came from the dollar store.

See the DIY here.

I love this fun faux wood ski tutorial.

Perfect for the winter wall where a Christmas tree used to be.

See the entire DIY here.

Cute ideas for laundry storage.

And laundry room organizing ideas.

See the tips and inspiration and a really pitiful before here.

And this closet?

SERIOUSLY.

It's like the supermodel of closets.

See the rest of the closet walking the runway here.

And in random news this week:

Create a mail organizing system

Write your home's story

This modern farmhouse

What to do when your gray looks purple

Kitchen pantry organization

How to clean glass shower doors

One of my favorite houses ever

This cute way to organize eyeglasses

This sweet master bedroom

Tale of two throws

And just when I thought there was nothing left to watch on television…

…I read this.

I'm never turning the channel.

Seriously.

And speaking of seriously.

Here's some serious joy.

PS And this joyful face?

It's the face of someone who hasn't taken down her Christmas decorations yet.

#sorrynotsorry

#ilovetwinkling lights

Happy random Saturday to you.

The post Thistlekeeping appeared first on Thistlewood Farm.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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2018 Roundup: Bee Saving Paper, Solar Dog Houses, Home and Garden Makeover, Bomb Detection by Plants, 3D Printed Flowers, Compostable Couture…

You let us know what some of your 2018 favorites were: Bee Saving Paper, Solar Dog Houses, Home and Garden Makeover, Bomb Detection by Plants, 3D Printed Flowers, Compostable Couture, and much, much, more. Here are 20 of 2018's most … Read More...

The post 2018 Roundup: Bee Saving Paper, Solar Dog Houses, Home and Garden Makeover, Bomb Detection by Plants, 3D Printed Flowers, Compostable Couture… appeared first on Urban Gardens.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Why Should You Consider Finishing Your Basement?

The basement is often one of the most underutilised spaces and most homeowners simply use them as large laundry rooms. Instead of letting the basement collect moisture and lint, you should think about basement finishing.

Affordable Solution for Adding More Usable Space

Denver basement finishing provides a cost-effective way to add more space to your home. Compared to the cost of an addition, basement finishing is relatively affordable and requires less structural work. In many cases, these projects can be completed quickly and efficiently, providing minimal disruption to your normal routine.

Basement Finishing May Increase Your Property Value

Finishing your basement adds an extra room, helping to boost the overall value of your home. Whether you use the finished space for a bedroom, office, or living room, the new room may count as another bedroom for property valuations and assessments.

Along with increasing the property value, basement finishing often provides a greater return on investment compared to other renovation projects. In fact, for every $1000 that you put into the project, you may increase the value of your home by up to $700.

Accommodate Your Growing Family with an Extra Room

With basement finishing in Denver, you may not need to move when the size of your family grows. You can add an extra room in the basement, ensuring that you have the space you need.

If you want to add more space to your home, consider the advantages of basement finishing in Denver, CO. It is affordable, is efficient, and may boost the value of your property.

The basement does not need to be a dark, damp place. With a finished basement, you can gain an extra bedroom, bathroom, home gym, or storage space.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan

This quick and easy Chicken Parmesan is the answer to your weeknight dreams!! And since it's made in the Instant Pot, it's ready in minutes!

Don't get me wrong, my family LOVES my Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe, so I was skeptical. No breading, no frying – sign me up! And since we are cutting down on the carbs this month, this was a no-brainer! Of course, if your family wants their pasta, feel free to serve it on the side (I had mine with zucchini noodles).

(more…)

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Disaster Propels California Town to Top of Hottest Markets List for December 2018

Mark Miller Photos/Getty Images

These are turbulent days in the once laid-back town of Chico, CA, which has been overwhelmed by an influx of residents of Paradise, the town just 14 miles down the road that was leveled by the state's deadliest wildfire in November. According to the latest research from realtor.com®, that churn propelled Chico to be the hottest market in the U.S. in December.

The realtor.com monthly analysis looks at which markets are getting the most listing views, and where homes are flying off the market fastest.

“It's just insanity,” says Sabrina Chevallier, a Realtor® with Re/Max of Chico. We were able to catch up with her just briefly between appointments-she says her schedule has been packed.

“It's been a really challenging market to gauge realistically where prices are headed,” she says.

For example, she says that one week, a home will sell for $50,000 above list price. Two weeks later, a house with an identical floor plan and amenities, in a comparable neighborhood, will get $30,000 less than asking.

Chevallier thinks that it all comes down to timing-specifically, of the insurance checks that are starting to roll in for fire victims. About 95% of her clients right now lost their home in the Camp Fire.

“You're getting people who are getting more money from insurance than they've ever seen in their bank account in a lifetime,” she says. These buyers tend to look at the same types of homes-so cue the bidding wars that drive up prices. Then, a couple of weeks later, there will be a slowdown because there aren't as many buyers with cash to burn.

Sensing opportunity, a handful of builders have rushed to fast-track construction projects that had been green-lighted, but weren't slated to break ground until spring, Chevallier says. Still, it will be months before those projects will be ready to house buyers.

Our analysis shows that Chico listings are moving fast. An average Chico home spent 37 days on market in December; in Midland, TX, the next hottest market, homes took 51 days to sell.

Watch: Paradise lost

Yet Chico's rise is not just a natural-disaster-induced fluke. More than ever before, smaller secondary markets are in demand, realtor.com research shows.

“They're not just smaller, but also lower-priced,” notes Javier Vivas, director of economic research at realtor.com.

The cumulative value of the top 20 hottest markets in December, based on median list prices, is the second lowest since the team began tracking in May 2013. The lowest-valued list so far was November. (The numbers have not been adjusted for inflation.)

“We've seen affordability reach a tipping point in large, high-cost markets, generating this trickle-down effect into secondary markets,” Vivas says.

Historically, he adds, secondary markets would rise to the top if the economy were good and jobs were plentiful.

“Now, the secret sauce is just 'Is it cheap?'” he says.

So here are the hottest markets in the U.S. for real estate, as of December 2018:

The hot list

Rank (December) 20 Hottest Markets Rank (November) Rank Change 1 Chico, CA 16 15 2 Midland, TX 1 -1 3 Odessa, TX 4 1 4 Columbus, OH 3 -1 5 Fort Wayne, IN 2 -3 6 San Francisco, CA 8 2 7 Sacramento, CA 7 0 8 Colorado Springs, CO 6 -2 9 Boston, MA 5 -4 10 Stockton, CA 18 8 11 Vallejo, CA 14 3 12 Rockford, IL 37 25 13 Detroit, MI 9 -4 14 Yuba City, CA 13 -1 15 Dallas, TX 29 14 16 Nashville, TN 24 8 17 Modesto, CA 23 6 18 Louisville, KY 17 -1 19 Akron, OH 31 12 20 Boise City, ID 10 -10

The post Disaster Propels California Town to Top of Hottest Markets List for December 2018 appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Raising a sofa with furniture casters to turn it into a dining settee bench

First of all Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful break and holiday season! I'm ready to blog again!

… and wow isn't that an exciting title to start with? Uhmmmm nope … but let me tell you it's a project that I should have tackled much much sooner because the outcome is literally life changing for us. I had bought the antique silk velvet sofa in our dining room years ago, yup years ago at a local auction but the seating height was not meant for a dining table. It was just too low and I had put solving this issue on the back burner. I just always apologized to people who sat at our table by saying that I didn't get to fixing the issue yet and that they should just focus on how comfy the settee actually is and not the fact that they are sitting at the table like children who just aren't as tall yet as everyone else. Yeah I'm rolling my eyes at myself as I'm typing.

Part of this project paralysis was due to the fact that I didn't know exactly what I could use to raise the seating.

Continue reading Raising a sofa with furniture casters to turn it into a dining settee bench at Cuckoo4Design.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Can One Small Change Save You Money in 2019?

This article is from PocketSmith, one of my partners. If you choose to sign up for the service from this post, I'll receive a small commission. If you're trying to get on the right financial track, you can make a small change and save money in the long run.

Setting big financial goals, like getting out of debt or saving for a home, can be daunting. But what if you usher in 2019 by focusing on one small change that could result in big gains financially?

Start by picking one thing you'd like to spend less on.

Then, take a moment to be curious about the reasons for the desire to change your spending habit. Do you think your curiosity will help you be more successful in making your one small change? Rather than if it was a New Year's resolution?

The answer to the latter is yes, and we'll explain why below. In the meantime, here are some examples of small changes that yield big differences and help you save money over a year:

What does curiosity have to do with change?

While change can be hard, curiosity – according to top mindfulness researcher Dr. Judson Brewer – feels good. So to effectively change a habit, you should enjoy the process by being curious about why this habit exists.

In his TED talk, Dr. Brewer suggests that you first observe yourself acting on the impulse to do the thing you want to change, then get curious! Ask yourself:

How does it feel?

What triggered the impulse?

What satisfaction does it provide?

And for how long?

Editor note: Miranda here. I love this. It's similar to finding your “why” when it comes to spending. Anytime you want to save money, spend better, and use your financial resources to improve your life, starting by answering these questions can help.

How can we apply mindfulness to changing financial habits and saving money?

If you've identified an area in which you believe you're overspending, you're already most of the way there because you don't need to justify the need for change.

Take late fees as an example. Step back and be curious about why your habitual routines cause payments to be late, and penalties to occur. From there, take achievable steps to fix that one habit – perhaps by scheduling their payments when they arrive.

And there's your small change.

Conventional wisdom tells us that if we want to achieve a goal we must try harder and work harder, but perhaps we can make those New Year's resolutions stick by trying softer!

Let's get started

Track your spending and monitor progress on your small change with PocketSmith, one of the sharpest money management tools on the Internet.

The team at PocketSmith would love to help you get there, so if you sign up for an account and Tweet or Facebook your small change to them, you could stand to win an upgrade to a one-year Super subscription worth $169.95. For example:

Hey @pocketsmith! My #SmallChangeBigGains will be buying fewer coffees each week, therefore saving $700 in 2019.

PocketSmith will pick ten of the best entries on January 9 (2019) and announce the winners on Facebook and Twitter, so get creative and share your tips! Remember to sign up, and use the #SmallChangeBigGains hashtag to qualify.

As a bonus, if you sign up for PocketSmith from here, you will get half price on the first two months of PocketSmith Premium. Plus you'll receive an email guide designed to help you track and make your #SmallChangeBigGains

Use this coupon to get 50% off the first two months of PocketSmith Premium: 50OFFPREMIUM-F4RG

To redeem this offer go to PocketSmith, set up a free account and apply the coupon in the app via Settings>Subscriptions and Upgrades>Enter coupon. Then enter your payment details, and you are set to go.

Can One Small Change Save You Money in 2019? appeared first on Planting Money Seeds.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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New Year New Pine Forest Acrylic Painting

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! We closed the shop for the week between Christmas until just after the new year. I have to tell you, it was pretty amazing. I ate a ton of food. My family and I put together a brand new puzzle, only to discover it was missing one piece at the end (insert mad face here.), and just hung around. I did sneak out one day to the closed shop, to nurture my creative side, and work on a new pine forest acrylic painting.

Even though I love design, sculpture,ceramics, and just plain making stuff, paint has always played a part in all of those. It's probably why when I got back into creating, I was painting furniture, and murals. In the very beginning, I was making the most horrible looking mason jars, picture frames, and a few stuffed, felted snowmen ever.

Don't believe me? Here is a picture from one of my first craft shows :

Well, you gotta start somewhere, right? So, if you are reading this now, and you want to dive into creating something, but are worried its going to be bad… That's ok. Just start making things. The more you make, the better you get. Remember: we all start at the beginning.

I really love putting paint to canvas, and working in acrylics and gouache. One of my main goals for this year is to dive back into canvas work, and start offering my paintings for sale again in the shop.

I decided to paint my pine forest acrylic painting over a simple picture I did for my holiday housewalk over my faux mantel. It was such a big canvas, I thought it was better to reuse it, rather than buy a new one.

I started by adding a layer of white acrylic paint over the top of the old painting. The hardest part is waiting for it to dry, so I can add more paint!

After I did a cover coat on the old painting, I did a quick layout painting over the top in my colors. I wanted to get my valley, and my tree positioning correct. I know there is a whole rule of thirds, but as someone who was never formally trained in art, I just kind of go with what is pleasing to the eye for me. I I decided I wanted to use shades of black, green, blues and grays for my canvas to give it a wintery feel.

I used DecoArt Premium Acrylic Art paints for my canvas, but this is not a sponsored post.

After I did my initial layout, I added my pine trees using under-painting. It's a technique I use a lot. I like how it gives me a good, dark base to lay my lighter colors over. I feel like it enriches the colors painted over the top. This works well in acrylics, but not so much in other mediums like watercolor, or gouache. I don't work in oil paint, so I am not sure if it's used in that kind of painting at all. Maybe some of you more versed in oils would know?

I added snowy branches by using a round brush, touching the tip fill of white paint, and adding gentle pressure downwards. After the snow, I added some simple shading to the bottom of the trees.

I have a tutorial in this post on how to paint a winter scene, which includes a basic pine tree. You can also see how to paint a birch tree here, and an agate pattern here.

Once it was dry, I added it to my winter mantel decor. I kept my deer up, and my felt garland from Anthropologie, and added a few birch logs and candles.

The snowy canvas looks nice above our faux fireplace. It gave me such joy to take the time to really create! I hope to have a pillow or two of it available in the shop soon, I just need to photograph it with my big girl camera, so I get a good resolution for prints!

The post New Year New Pine Forest Acrylic Painting appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Stocks Start the Year Strong – Market Update

Happy Monday! How are those New Year's resolutions going? If you're like me and you haven't started on yours yet, there's still time, but it's time to get a move on. Let's be the accountability group for each other today. What do you say?

Buoyed by a strong employment report, the stock market had a bit of a bounce back in the first week of the new year. It needed it; 2018 ended on a bit of a sour note. Let's jump in and see what happened.

Headline News

MBA Mortgage Applications

This report wasn't released over the Christmas holidays, so these numbers cover a two-week period as opposed to the usual mortgage application reporting. Apparently, consumers weren't thinking about their mortgages either. Overall application volume fell 9.8% for the period of the reporting.

The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed conforming mortgage was down 10 basis points to 4.84%. This isn't the only analysis that showed a drop in rates. We'll have more on Freddie Mac's data regarding this in the mortgage rates section below.

Still, the decrease in interest rates wasn't enough to stop refinance applications from falling 12% and purchase applications from being down 8%. Most of the mortgage market is about purchase right now, with refinances making up just 42.7% of applications.

Jobless Claims

Initial jobless claims were up 10,000 to 231,000 last week. The good news is that the four-week average was down by 500 to 218,750.

On the continuing claims side, these were up 32,000 to 1.74 million. Meanwhile, the four-week average rose 26,000 to 1.704 million. These are high levels not seen since the beginning of September.

ISM Manufacturing Index

While the manufacturing sector is still in a growth cycle, signs pointed to things getting a bit stagnant in December. Optimism among those who reported was down more than five points to 54.1. Things haven't been this slow since November 2016.

Growth in new orders was down 10 points to come in at 51.1, indicating minimal growth. This is also the lowest this number has been in nearly two and a half years. There was a 0.6 point rise in new export orders to 52.8 that helped out a little.

The data in the report is generally soft. Production was down six points to 54.3. Employment growth also hit the brakes a bit and was down more than two points at 56.2. Deliveries from suppliers fell and there seemed to be less concern about costs going up. Unfortunately, both are indications of a step back by manufacturers. Finally, the manufacturing backlog was flat at 50, indicating backorders weren't falling, but they weren't growing either, which could point to a slowdown in orders.

In terms of what's driving sentiment right now, comments are on the report seem to point to worries over the drop in oil prices as well as the continued standoff with China.

Employment Situation

In the limited data released this week, this report was definitely the standout star. There were 312,000 jobs added to nonfarm payrolls in December, well above estimates for a 180,000-position increase.

The unemployment rate did rise 0.2% to 3.9% on the month, but even here there appears to be good news. The labor force participation rate was also up 0.2% to 63.1%. This means the entire rise in the rate can be accounted for by the fact that some people who had given up on finding work now see that the labor market has come back enough for them to feel confident in searching for work again.

Average hourly earnings also had a good month, up 0.4%, the biggest monthly increase since December 2017. The yearly increase for average hourly earnings was up 0.1% to 3.2%. People got slightly more hours heading into the holidays as the average workweek increased six minutes to 34 hours, 30 minutes.

Turning back to payroll numbers, 301,000 jobs were added to private payrolls, while the government added 11,000 jobs. In the closely watched manufacturing sector, 32,000 jobs were added. There were 38,000 jobs in construction. Retail was up 24,000 as they geared up for peak shopping. Trade and transportation saw a 34,000-job increase. The professional and business services sector rose 34,000, including a gain of 10,000 for temporary help. Finally, mining was up 4,000. This is a sizable increase given that there are fewer people employed in the mining industry compared to other sectors.

Mortgage Rates

Despite fairly strong underlying data like the December employment report, there are fairly real concerns in the stock market about the dispute with China starting to hit the bottom line for companies. More on that in the next section, but when the stock market is spooked, the bond market is the beneficiary. As people buy more mortgage bonds, rates fall.

The following data from Freddie Mac doesn't show the full effect of the rate drop last week. The stock market issues and government shutdown talk didn't come to a head until Thursday when data for this report would've already been collected.

Here's the bottom line: If you're in the market to purchase or refinance, it's as good a time as any to lock your rate. Rates have been trending lower than they've been in some time in the last couple of weeks, but the economy is generally strong, so we don't know when money might leave the bond market again. Take advantage of these rates while you can.

The average rate on a 30-year conforming fixed mortgage was 4.51% with 0.5 points in fees. This was a drop of four basis points on the week, but up from 3.95% at the same time a year ago.

Looking at shorter terms, the average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage fell two basis points to 3.99% with 0.4 points in fees. Last year at this time, the rate was 3.38%.

Finally, the average rate on a 5-year treasury-indexed, hybrid adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) with 0.2 points in fees was down a couple of basis points to 3.98%. This is up from 3.45% last year.

Stock Market

The stock market was up on Friday. Two things propelled optimism that hadn't been in the market for a while. In addition to a much better than expected jobs report, there were also comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the board would be patient when it came to raising benchmark interest rates in light of lower inflation.

The move higher was much needed as the market had been spooked by Apple saying it would miss its quarterly projections because the effect of trade and tariffs had apparently led to significantly lower sales for the iPhone in China than expected. Apple was among a group of tech companies that saw a 4% rise in their stocks Friday after China announced that trade talks were scheduled in Beijing for today and tomorrow.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 746.94 points Friday to close at 23,433.16, up 1.61% on the week. The S&P 500 closed at 2,531.94 points, up 1.86% for the week and 84.05 points on the day. Finally, the Nasdaq finished the week up 2.34% at 6,738.86, rising 275.35 points on the day.

The Week Ahead

As a result of the ongoing government shutdown, any reports that come out of the U.S. government may or may not actually come. That said, here's what's scheduled for this week.

Tuesday, January 8

International Trade (8:30 a.m. ET) – International trade is composed of merchandise (tangible goods) and services. It's available by export, import and trade balance for six principal end-use commodity categories and for more than 100 principal Standard International Trade Classification system commodity groupings.

Quicken Loans Home Price Perception Index (HPPI) (10:00 a.m. ET) – Quicken Loans releases data every month comparing what people think their homes are worth to appraisals. Similar opinions of value often make for smoother purchase and refinance transactions.

Quicken Loans Home Value Index (HVI) (10:00 a.m. ET) – Quicken Loans also releases data on home values at both the national and regional levels. Homeowners can gain a perception of whether values are increasing or decreasing and get a better idea of where they stand in terms of equity.

Wednesday, January 9

MBA Mortgage Applications (7:00 a.m. ET) – The mortgage applications index measures applications to mortgage lenders. This is a leading indicator for single-family home sales and housing construction.

Thursday, January 10

Jobless Claims (8:30 a.m. ET) – New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to report the number of individuals filing for unemployment insurance for the first time. An increasing trend suggests a deteriorating labor market. The four-week moving average of new claims smooths out weekly volatility.

Friday, January 11

Consumer Price Index (CPI) (8:30 a.m. ET) – The consumer price index measures changes based on the price of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers.

We'll be keeping an eye on these reports as well as the stock market and all things government shutdown. It'll be covered in next Monday's Market Update!

If you find that economic data and mortgage rates aren't really your speed at the moment, we've got plenty of home, money and lifestyle content to share with you if you subscribe to the Zing Blog below. If you're having trouble deciding where to get started with your resolution for the new year, maybe start small. Our Molly Grace has some tips on setting micro goals. Have a great week!

The post Stocks Start the Year Strong – Market Update appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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Introducing Sankofa

Sankofa is a word from Ghana that translates to “Go back and get it” and represents the proverb “It's important to go back for that which you have forgotten” or “go back, look for, and gain wisdom, power and hope.” Sankofa also refers to the Adinkra symbol represented by a bird with its feet facing forward while his head turns backwards to catch its lost egg. It symbolizes taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the use of knowledge.

In honor of Black men, we commissioned this powerful painting by Addonis Parker. The use of the Sankofa symbol on his cap was his idea…which we love!

At OneUnited Bank, we know the importance of Black men in our community. We partner with BMe Community an award-winning network of community-builders known for defining people by their positive contributions. Black men are assets to society. Every day, black men give their time and energy to help others in schools, businesses and neighborhoods. They are fathers, coaches, students and entrepreneurs – men from all walks of life. They are not always respected.

Let's celebrate and learn lessons from our past to build wealth and create a more fair and just community. Let's show our respect for Black men.

Let's show the power of the $1.2 trillion of annual spending of the Black community and that #BlackMoneyMatters. Open and account today!

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cunninghamartcollection-blog · 7 years ago

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This 3-Step Mini-Meditation Will Guide You to a Better Home - The 2019 January Cure

The January Cure is all about refreshing and organizing your home for 2019. We tackle one assignment each weekday throughout the entire month. It's not too late to sign up, and you can visit the Cure page to catch up with the assignments so far.

You've heard of nose blindness, yeah? It's the idea that your brain gets so used to a certain scent that you lose the awareness to actively smell it. Turns out your brain is wildly efficient, and it will have you completely overlook things that haven't changed in a while in order to focus on more pressing and stimulating matters.