Tag Archives: creative

Feb22

How To: Creating A Garden Indoors

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How To: Creating A Garden Indoors

If you live in a city, green spaces can be hard to find. The noise and pollution that is part of our day to day life shouldn’t follow us home. Our homes should be a place of rest and recuperation. At home we should be able to let go of the stresses of the day and enjoy some healthy and happy quiet time. With all this in mind, it makes sense to have a garden in our homes! There are so many benefits to having plants and nature-inspired items in our house, and it can be so easy to create an indoor garden. Keep reading for some inspiration…

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Pretty!!!

What Are The Benefits? It may sound like an eccentric concept, but creating a garden indoors actually has lots of benefits. Living in close proximity to plants and flowers can help us to feel more at ease with our surroundings, less anxious, and more relaxed. Plants also add something interesting and stimulating to look at and care for in our homes. These factors all contribute to our overall well being and can make us happier and less stressed. There is even some evidence to suggest that plants can create an improved learning environment.

One of the other benefits of having plants indoors is that they help with breathing and purifying the air. Plants release oxygen during photosynthesis, which increases oxygen levels in the home. The process of photosynthesis also produces moisture vapor. This is good news as the humidity in the air increases, meaning less dry skin, colds, and sore throats.

How to Create an Indoor Garden: Creating a garden indoors is no mean feat. You’ll have to invest time and money into your project, but the results will be well worth it. It is possible to grow plants indoors with LED grow lights. LumiGrowth has a great guide to the best lights to buy and how to use them. Once you’re set up and growing plants indoors, you can move on to the other garden features.

Most gardens contain some kind of pathway, decking, or patio. Bring some stone into your home to give the feeling of a garden path. Statement walls are a great place to incorporate stone or around a fireplace if you have one. For a cheaper alternative, buy some stone statues or ornaments to place around your home. You can even place some smooth stones around your house as a quirky accessory. For a more practical approach, use smooth stones as doorstops instead.

Another key aspect of a garden is well tended grass. Now I’m not suggesting you bring grass indoors, but use the color green where you can to add some bursts of nature. You don’t have to take this too literally either. Rather than painting the walls green, create a little herb garden in the kitchen. Simply line up fresh herbs in pots on a windowsill and watch them grow! They will help you create an indoor garden, and will make an awesome addition to your meals!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Feb15

A Welcome Letter To Spring

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A Welcome Letter To Spring

Hi everyone and welcome, welcome, welcome to my Think Spring guest bloggers series. This six day extravaganza was created to help everyone shake away the blahs of winter by celebrating all things spring. From creative writing and spring cleaning tips to the perfect soft spring time makeup looks, this series has it all. To kick start the fun, this series will start out with A Welcome Letter To Spring by my dear friend, Tanya, over at TanyaTales. Her blog will help take your imagination to a new level and I encourage everyone to check it out! Now, let’s get to it:

A Welcome Letter To Spring:

Dear Spring,

In truth, I know it has only been a year since we have been apart and though I know you have only just returned I fear that soon you will depart. A year may not be long in the grand scheme of things but it has given me a chance to reconsider what each month you offer me brings. I look upon the long and difficult year I seem to have ahead of me and see not tasks or challenges but the four seasons of which there will be. The winter, the autumn, the summer and not to forget you. For spring is the season which starts the cycle of life brand new.

Each seasons in the year presents its own role within the family and you, young spring, know your role as the bringer of life and vitality. You are a fresh start, of that I am sure, and act as a constant reminder that when god closes a window he opens a door. You are my favorite of all the seasons and this letter should outline all of my reasons. While most choose to ignore your friendly and gentle breeze which causes the grass to shiver slightly and shake the high standing trees, I chose to see only the good for us you do and although it isn’t acknowledged by many it is appreciated by us few.

The way you dress giggling children, hooded and footed in rain boots and coats as they jump in puddles pretending to be pirate boats as across the sea they float. While you, dear spring, watch on quietly not seeking attention or feeling need to gloat. Your breeze fills their sails and creates new tales of which they will play out. Untold tales of undiscovered lands and shores which glitter with multi colored sands.

But as children grow into young teens your spring days are suddenly given very different means. It offers new tales of bright and blossoming love in the time old image of flying white doves. Fluttering through the sky their feathers floating to the ground as they fall around us without making a sound.

Your days they bring images of fluffy yellow ducklings breaking free from the confinements of their shells and brings pictures of babies, pure and innocent, taking their first breath and telling worried mothers that they are alive and well. As fresh air fills every newborn’s room with clean and fresh scents of flowers in bloom and your unpredictable April showers rain down on young birds chirping in the early hours. As dams are built by busy beavers, message of your arrival spreads in the form of hay-fever.

Oh spring, you may not offer the hot and relaxing summer holidays but you bring back stolen light in a warm spring blaze. You wash away the winter snow while placing glistening dew on the green grass which glows. You put back the leaves which autumn took away and by the time the year reaches May, our windows are graced with bright pastel colors and beautiful leaves which takes out the anguish every time you make me sneeze.

Oh spring, if I am only sure of one thing it is that, I am most definitely glad that you have come back.

^^^ Thank you again to Tanya for such a beautiful post to start the Think Spring guest bloggers series with. Tanya offers new pieces of creative writing on her blog every Friday at 7 PM so definitely take a look if you like the piece that she wrote special for lifewithlilred. What images comes to mind when you think of spring? What is your favorite season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Need More Space in Your Home? Try These Storage Ideas!

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In every home, there tends to be a need for more space. We have more things that we need to store or our home needs to function for a few purposes. With more and more people working from home at least one day a week, you need a spare room that doubles up as an office or a dining room that will work as a study, too. Additional storage is a must for this kind of thing. So if you are short on storage space and looking to make your home more functional, what can you do? Here are a few ideas to help you maximize the space in your home.

Convert the Garage: Are you someone that doesn’t really use the garage to it’s full potential? Do you just use it to park your car but nothing more? If that is the case, then it can be a huge space for you to convert and create an additional room in. First of all, if you have a driveway, then does your car need to be stored in the garage at all? Second of all, you need to think about getting some storage units in the garage. Maximize the space that you have by using shelving in the garage, as well as using hooks to hang things from the ceiling. When you aren’t using the floor space, it really does make a difference. You could use the garage, or at least half of it, as a family room or office. Just make sure that you put in more insulation or heating and get good rolling garage doors & gates. Otherwise, it could be a bit cold in there!

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Flickr Image

Open Up Your Entryway: The entrance hall can be a busy space in the home. It can get cluttered with shoes, coats, and book or work bags. This can make it can look messy and smaller than it actually is. If you have space, then think about getting something like a bench. Then people can use it to put shoes on and spread out a little bit. If there wouldn’t be room for that, just make sure that you have got plenty of space for shoes and coats by using things like hooks and racks. When an area is organized, it looks much better and makes the space look larger, too.

Create More Storage with Furniture: In rooms like living areas or dining areas, you need extra storage space. These are the rooms that get the most cluttered, aren’t they? They are high traffic areas and where most people gather. So think about ways to use your furniture wisely to create more space. Think about ottoman style coffee tables. They can be lifted to store things like remote controls, games consoles, and magazines, for example. You could get a TV cabinet or coffee table with shelving built in. Then you can store books, DVDs, and video games. Wooden boxes could also be used to store things in like kids toys or throws and blankets. Personalize the boxes to make them your own and you will have a one of a kind bin for all of your odds and ends.

May29

DIY Summer Festival Style

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DIY Summer Festival Style

Hello everyone and welcome to an amazing arts and crafts guest blog by my talented friend, Emma, at Randomina. My guest blogger that was originally scheduled for today bailed on me and I was getting antsy as to what I would do since I promised a guest blog for every Sunday of May to my beloved readers. Luckily, an email from Emma shined like a beacon of hope and she was able to create a simply fantastic tie-dye tutorial post.

I am so appreciative to Emma for making this post on a time crunch and am so pleased to be able to house her on lifewithlilred for the day. I encourage all of you to check her blog out – I assure you that you won’t be disappointed! Now, take a look at the post that Miss Emma created special for all of my lifewithlilred readers:

DIY Summer Festival Style

Hello everyone! My name is E from Randomina, I do make up and clothing tutorials along with designing and manufacturing my own textile works while blogging part-time. I thank Sarah of Lil Red very much for having me as her guest blogger today as she is going away on holiday. This gave me the inspiration to teach you four fabric dying styles, three from the Japanese art called Shibouri, to have a fun and creative way to a Coachella Chic wardrobe at your fingertips!

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You Need:
  • 1 bucket/container of water
  • 2 gloves (plastic or rubber will do)
  • Dye packets/tie-dye kits
  • Paint brushes
  • Elastics
  • A bundle of pebbles
  • A finished toilet paper roll
  • The garment you want to customize (in my case fabric samples)
Tutorial 1- Arashi/Pole Wrapping: Wrap the garment around the toilet roll and secure with elastics. Use as many bands as you please but when wrapping, scrunch as you go along to wrinkle it. Whatever dyes you are using PLEASE be careful as some dye packets can be harmful to the skin. And, of course, follow the instructions on how to make your color and how to store it. After you make your color, put a portion of it in your container (small doses makes the color pale) and mix it with your brush and then paint your color on your “pole” and leave to dry.
 
Tutorial 2- Kumo/Pebbles: Take the garment and the pebbles and place the pebbles in any way you like with the garment on top. Pull the pebble through and trap it in place with an elastic until the whole garment is covered in the “pebble pattern”. Get your brush and paint on the pebble silhouette and on the elastic around it. Take your time and when you’re done, leave it to dry.
 
Tutorial 3- Itajime/Folding: Fold your garment like an accordion until it becomes a small square or rectangle. Secure the bundle with elastics. With your container of dye you can (unless you want to have a delicate pattern) put the garment in the container and evenly coat it in dye. Take off the bands and  unfold when dried.
 
Tutorial 4- Twisty Stripes: Hold a corner of the garment and twist tightly and secure with bands as you go. You can submerge the garment in the container or you can paint as many colors as you wish sparingly. Wait until dried.
 
**Note: When washing your creations, rinse after the dying with cold water until it runs clear. Once it’s dried, it will be ready to wear. Wash it individually in a normal machine 2-3 times before mixing it in with the rest of your clothes.
 
Thank you for tuning in today! If you liked that tutorial, I also have a few other crafts that you might enjoy on my blog. See you later! Loads of love and happy crafting!
^^^ So. Much. Fun! I loved Emma’s cool new take on tie-dye and I hope that all of you enjoyed it, too. Again, please venture to Randomina for more from the lovely Emma! What is your favorite summer craft? Who plans on following the steps that Emma provided to create their own hand dyed fabrics? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Oct26

Man Crush Monday: Larry David Edition

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Man Crush Monday: Larry David Edition

Hellooo everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Man Crush Monday – Larry David style! This one may be a head scratcher for some of you but there is nothing more attractive than a man with an award winning sense of humor! Enjoy this clip from one of my favorite shows, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and then let’s discuss:

Dear Larry David,

Oh Larry, you beautiful bald headed Jewish man, you. Thank you for creating the brilliance that is Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Television as we know it would be nothing today without you, NOTHING. You were the brains behind the literal best sitcom of all time and your sense of humor is completely unmatched by the comedians of 2015. Thank you for creating TV shows that I can sit down with my parents and enjoy. Thank you for creating TV shows that I can quote to my wits end with people who are in on the Seinfeld and Curb jokes. Because let’s be honest, people who haven’t seen the shows just wouldn’t get it. Your infamous tongue in cheek openness about subjects ranging from people parking outside of the lines to absolutely nothing at all have earned you the tip of my cap. Hubba hubba, sir. Do I find you hella attractive? Not at all…Openness, right? But do I find your amazing creativity enviable and incredible – Yes, I do. Larry David, you are a genius and I LOVE YOU!!!

Larry Davidld1

^^^ Lol, classic LD!! Prettayyy, pretayyy, prettayyy good! ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Man Crush Monday: Larry David Edition! Who is your #MCM this week? What is your all time favorite episode of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep15

Daffodil Blue Photography

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Daffodil Blue Photography

Helllooooo everyone and welcome to a very special article on lifewithlilred about a blossoming business in the Akron, Ohio area, Daffodil Blue Photography. Daffodil Blue is run by the lovely and talented Britta Michele and I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with her for some coffee and all of the details about her endeavors as a young businesswoman. Before Britta and I scheduled a time to meet up, I asked her to pick her all time favorite photos that she’s taken for a Photographer’s Choice segment. Put a face to the name with this pretty pic of Britta and then take a look at these sweet shots before reading the interview that I had such a blast conducting:

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  • Lil Red: Alright! What made your Photographer’s Choice pictures your favorites? Let’s start with our little cupcake faced cutie!
  • Britta: Well, I’m pretty sure that that was her first cupcake, which was an awesome moment to photograph! This was taken at her second birthday party and I just think that this photo captures her personality so well. She looks so sweet but she definitely has some sass to her! I also like how the cupcake is all over her face, it’s so stinkin’ adorable!
  • LR: What about the second photo? They both look so happy!
  • B: They were! Baby Jameson loved the camera! I had so much fun photographing him and his mom, Ashley. I’m really glad that I was able to capture such sweet moments for her and her little one.
  • LR: Too cute! And now for the third and final Photographer’s Choice picture! What made you choose this photo as one of your faves?
  • B: These siblings were a blast to work with. I had a lot of props for them to play with, like bubbles and balloons, so they weren’t always paying attention to the camera – but it still made for some amazing shots! I really like this portrait because it shows how much love all three siblings have for each other and I’m happy to have been the one to capture it!
  • LR: So when I knew you, we were high schoolers in French class and you went by Brittany. How did we get to be called Britta and a photographer a few years later?
  • B: I decided to go by Britta because it’s a very rare name! I’ve never heard of it before and I think that it’s memorable. I want people to think of my name and go “Oh, Britta? She’s a photographer!” Photography has always been a passion of mine from a very young age. My cousin was a photographer who taught me everything that I know and she has been the inspiration for my work ever since.
  • LR: When did you take your first “real” photograph?
  • B: Oh gosh! When I was thirteen or so?
  • LR: Speaking of unique names, Daffodil Blue Photography is another one! What’s the story behind that?
  • B: Similar to my name, I wanted something that was different. I had seen “Moments By” and “Photographs By” countless times and that type of name could be run by anyone. I had played around with names and searched for different word pairings and then I started to think more in terms of things that I like. I love daffodils and blue is one of my favorite colors.
  • LR: So the name wasn’t something that came out of the blue? 😉
  • B: Nope! But I definitely wasn’t dead set on it. I kept going back and forth – I wanted it to have more meaning. It wasn’t until people began telling me how much they love the name Daffodil Blue that I began to love it too!
  • LR: As I browsed through your websites, I noticed that you do a lot of family shoots. Is that your favorite kind of shoot to do?
  • B: Yes! I love children and I can’t wait to have my own some day to photograph! When kids are involved, I always try to make it as fun as possible for them. I bring stuffed animals and just let them play. I always prefer to have action shots of children because they just can’t sit still! And the best thing is, even if there are photographs of them not looking at the camera, I have some tricks up my sleeve to edit them to make it appear that they are.
  • LR: From all of the shoots that you’ve done has there been a most memorable moment?
  • B: All of them are! There really isn’t just one. I do like to continue photographing beyond the session time my clients have signed up for because you can’t get everything that you want in the allotted time. The post session photos are usually of the kids just playing around – and that’s when you get the real smiles!
  • LR: As a photographer, it’s your job to create memories. Is there a specific shoot that you’re dying to do?
  • B: Wedding shoots! Weddings are just so magical. I love taking pictures of someone who looks so beautiful and happy. I want the couple to look at the photos twenty years from now and think, “Wow, look how amazing we look. Look how happy we look. We still are happy”.
  • LR: And now for the cliche interview question…Where do you see Daffodil Blue Photography one year from now?
  • B: Hopefully with a lot more people photographed – particularly some wedding shoots! I would love to travel and make Daffodil Blue a full time business rather than a part time hobby.

I had the absolute best time catching up with Britta and hearing all about Daffodil Blue Photography. With so many aspiring photographers out there, I asked her to grace us with some advice on how to make the best of a young business. Here’s what she had to say:

  1. Don’t ever give up. Believe me, I wanted to so many times, especially because I was comparing myself to others so often. You have to learn from the people who have more experience than you, not compare yourself to them.
  2. Have patience. I started Daffodil Blue at the beginning of last year and I’m just now gaining more and more clients.
  3. Don’t charge what professionals are charging right away. Get a steady client base before you raise your prices but never go too cheap!!
  4. Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out to people who might be interested in your business.

During our talk, I was shocked to learn that Britta had not named her Nikon camera! We decided on the very original “Nicki the Nikon” and here’s the facts about what makes her D3200 camera baby the perfect one for her:

  1. Through extensive research, Britta came to the conclusion that Nikon was a bit better than Canon, which made her Nikon purchase a no brainer. “Canon is still a good brand but I would pick Nikon any day!”
  2. Nicki the Nikon boasts 24 megapixels while the D3100 only has 12. However, I learned from my self taught photographer friend that it’s not the megapixels that matter, it’s what lens you use.
  3. Britta is currently using the kit lens and is very happy with it. She told me that not many professional photographers would use that lens but that’s okay with her! Throughout our afternoon together, Britta mentioned frequently that just because she may not have the best equipment yet, it doesn’t mean that she can’t take an amazing picture! (However, Britta will be treating herself to a 50 mm. 1.8 G lens for her upcoming birthday!)

Interested in Daffodil Blue Photography?

Guys, I’m not gonna lie, this was my favorite write up I’ve done yet. Britta is the real deal. She’s intelligent, creative, and has such evident talent that it’s palpable. We both thought that it would be fun if my readers took a look at her websites and chose their favorite photo to share with us! Until then, do you have any advice for Britta as she continues her work at Daffodil Blue? What is one of your favorite pictures that you’ve ever taken? We wanna hear from all of you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! And please make sure to leave us a Reader’s Choice picture in the comments! Much love. -Sarah