Monday, December 10, 2007

10 Tips for Decorating on a Budget

Most people are looking for great ways to save money on home décor, but still keep the designer look they are seeking. There are many ways to accomplish this. Below are some fantastic ways to decorate on a budget.

  1. Re-use existing items -- This is one of the best ways to save money! In fact, you won’t spend any money at all. Take an inventory of items in your home and try to look at them in a different light. Sometimes we get so used to seeing things in the same place, that we don’t even consider using them in a different way. Just try moving things around, and you may come up with something you love!

  2. Paint, Paint, Paint! –- One of the best ways to completely change the look of a room, and for only a few dollars per room! Try new colors that you never thought of. Go to the paint store and pick out some samples. You can even buy a small container and test it out first. Budget decorating requires that you use paint to update and change the looks of things, whether it’s a whole room, a piece of furniture, or creating new artwork.

  3. Make Artwork –- This can be done by salvaging old items, or creating new works of art from photographs, canvasses, or a collage of interesting items or shadowboxes. Artwork is an important part of any interior design.

  4. Clean up your act –- Clear out all the clutter so that people can see the beautiful rooms you have created. Sometimes starting with a blank (or somewhat blank) canvas can give you a new perspective on your spaces.

  5. Dress your windows –- You get a lot of “bang for your buck” with window treatments, because they take up so much vertical space in the room, and draw the eye upward. Try looking online at different types of window treatments and see which kind you would like. Some of the easiest ones to install or create include mini-blinds, wood blinds, plain flat valances, square cornices, and pinch-pleated drapes. However, the array of window treatments available is endless.

  6. Try new shops –- Such as thrift shops, consignment stores, and auctions to find new and interesting items. You may come across a great conversation piece, or an antique that is worth much more than you pay for it!

  7. Illuminate! –- Be sure that your new design has plenty of lighting. It would be a shame to spend time and effort creating a new room, and the details not get noticed. Lighting is also a great way to add accents and unique touches to your budget design.

  8. Don’t buy everything you see –- Just because it’s cheap, it doesn’t mean you should buy it. If it doesn’t work for your room, you won’t like it when you get it home. You will just be stuck with an old piece of junk with nowhere to put it. Focus on buying things that you have planned for and budgeted for.

  9. Have a Plan –- Know what furniture you need (and don’t need), what your color scheme is, and what your style is. This way, you won’t waste time and money by purchasing things that you don’t need, and don’t like. Budget decorating is all about know what is a good deal and what isn’t.

  10. Have Fun –- Don’t get stressed out over your room! Sometimes it takes time, and trial and error to get it right. Just make sure to have fun and enjoy the process of making your rooms beautiful as well as enjoying the end result.

Find more great ideas for budget decorating at Designing On A Budget and Sullivan Interiors. Angela Sullivan is an Interior Designer and budget decorating enthusiast. This article may be reproduced as long as it is not changed, and remains intact, including all links and this statement.

Article Source: Ezine @rticles

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Scrapbooking

Hello ladies... I'm hooked on scrapbooking :)

Definition: Scrapbooking: The creative art of taking books with blank pages and adding photos, memorabilia, journaling, and embellishments. The primary purpose of scrapbooking is to preserve memories for future generations, but a secondary purpose often is to exercise your creativity as you display your memories in a scrapbook. Also Known As: cropping, scrapping, making scrapbooks

:)

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Mummy in a hurry - Part 2


Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
400gm minced chicken
½ packet of spaghetti ( I prefer San Remo’s – available at Cold Storage)
½ onion
1 potato
4 tablespoons Tikka Masala paste (I prefer Patak’s – available at Cold Storage)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Light cooking cream (available at supermarkets)
Salt to taste

The method:
1. Boil the spaghetti until tender in a large pot. Add some salt and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil while boiling.
2. Rinse the cooked spaghetti under cold running water for 5 seconds.
3. Dice onion. Peel and dice the potato.
4. Heat olive oil on a medium sized pan on low fire.
5. Saute onion until yellowish.
6. Set the fire to medium and add in Tikka Masala paste.
7. Stir for a while.
8. Add in the minced chicken and diced potato and stir until they're coated with the paste.
9. Let the chicken cook in its juice for awhile before adding in 1 cup of plain water followed by light cooking cream.
10. Stir continuously while the sauce boils.
11. Add salt (if needed).
12. Turn the fire off once the sauce seems thick enough to your liking.
13. Serve the sauce with spaghetti.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

20 Questions to Ask Before You Get Married

Question #1: What percentage of our income are we prepared to spend to purchase and maintain our home on a monthly or annual basis?

Question #2: Who is responsible for keeping our house and yard cared for and organized? Are we different in our needs for cleanliness and organization?

Question #3: How much money do we earn together? Now? In one year? In five years? Ten? Who is responsible for which portion? Now? In one year? Five? Ten?

Question #4: What is our ultimate financial goal regarding annual income, and when do we anticipate achieving it? By what means, and through what efforts?

Question #5: What are our categories of expense (rent, clothing, insurance, travel)? How much do we spend monthly, annually, in each category? How much do we want to be able to spend?

Question #6: How much time will each of us spend at work, and during what hours? Do we begin work early? Will we prefer to work into the evening?

Question #7: If one of us doesn't want to work, under what circumstances, if any, would that be okay?

Question #8: How ambitious are you? Are we comfortable with the other's level of ambition?

Question #9: Am I comfortable giving and receiving love sexually? In sex, does my partner feel my love for him or her?

Question #10: Are we satisfied with the frequency of our lovemaking? How do we cope when our desire levels are unmatched? A little? A lot? For a night? A week? A month? A year? More?

Question #11: Do we eat meals together? Which ones? Who is responsible for the food shopping? Who prepares the meals? Who cleans up afterward?

Question #12: Is each of us happy with the other's approach to health? Does one have habits or tendencies that concern the other (e.g., smoking, excessive dieting, poor diet)?

Question #13: What place does the other's family play in our family life? How often do we visit or socialize together? If we have out-of-town relatives, will we ask them to visit us for extended periods? How often?

Question #14: If we have children, what kind of relationship do we hope our parents will have with their grandchildren? How much time will they spend together?

Question #15: Will we have children? If so, when? How many? How important is having children to each of us?

Question #16: How will having a child change the way we live now? Will we want to take time off from work, or work a reduced schedule? For how long? Will we need to rethink who is responsible for housekeeping?

Question #17: Are we satisfied with the quality and quantity of friends we currently have? Would we like to be more involved socially? Are we overwhelmed socially and need to cut back on such commitments?

Question #18: What are my partner's needs for cultivating or maintaining friendships outside our relationship? Is it easy for me to support those needs, or do they bother me in any way?

Question #19: Do we share a religion? Do we belong to a church, synagogue, mosque or temple? More than one? If not, would our relationship benefit from such an affiliation?

Question #20: Does one of us have an individual spiritual practice? Is the practice and the time devoted to it acceptable to the other? Does each partner understand and respect the other's choices?


source from oprah's marriage & dating.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Mummy in a hurry

Recipe name: Chicken Capsicum
Creation date: 5th September 2007
Test date: 5th September 2007
Prep time : 20 minutes

Ingredients

350 gm chicken fillet (cut into smaller pieces)
1 green capsicum
1/2 onion
4 garlic
1 cm ginger
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of tumeric powder (fresh tumeric is preferred)
Cooking oil

Preparing it

1. Combine garlic and ginger in the 'lesung batu' and pound them wholeheartedly.
2. In a 'tumericproof' bowl, marinate chicken fillet with the garlic/ginger paste, salt and tumeric powder for about 10 minutes.
3. Slice capsicum and onion thinly.

4. Heat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in your teflon layered wok with medium fire.
5. Fry the marinated chicken fillet to your liking (juicy, dry, semi-brownish etc). Your kitchen will be filled with the aroma and your salivating children will be waiting behind you with plates in their hands.

6. Throw in onion and capsicum into the wok. Stir gently to even out your wok's content.
7. Lower the fire and cover the wok. Cook for 3 more minutes or until capsicum becomes tender.
8. Ready to be served with steamed rice and 'sambal belacan'.

** Aren't you feeling hungry already?
As usual, didn't get the chance to snap some pics because before I knew it, chicken capsicum was already gone (into 4 tummies).

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Hello

It's been a while since the last post... I just wanna say hi to everyone... InsyaAllah will update soon :)

Friday, May 11, 2007

Happy Mother's Day

To all beautiful loving mothers ....................
Your love and passion towards what you have around you
are as pure and beautiful as the Callas

May your day be filled with love and happiness, always.