Turquoise Decor Holiday Ezine

Holiday 2009 E-zine

Page 1 (See Page 2 here)

Turquoise Décor LLC

From Drab to Fab!

425 463 8415

Photography © by Skedonk.com

Proudly serving clients from the following communities: Seattle, the Eastside, King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Tacoma, Bellevue, Renton, Seatac, Shoreline, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Kent, Auburn, West Seattle, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodinville, Kenmore, Fife, Federal Way, Edmonds, Brier, Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Normandy Park, Greenlake, Carnation, Duvall, Everett, Monroe, Lake Stevens, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Copyright © 2008 Turquoise Décor Newsletter.

‘Tis the season where platitudes like “I can’t believe the Holidays are here again”, “How time flies”, and “We’re in November already!” abound. Yes, 2009 is drawing to a close, but the good news is that Winter is a great time to revel in everything that is magical, sparkly and special - and we intend to do just that!

In this issue we’re sharing some fresh and easy holiday decorating ideas. We’ll also be expanding on this subject with Sue Lundquist and Shawn De Nae Eddy on the I’m Thankful™ Network radio show 1150AM KKNW on Thursday, 11/24/2009 at 9-10 am. An audio and visual of the show will also be streaming live at www.imthankful.com

We’ve had an exciting time of it lately - last month we attended the fabulous Eastside Women in Business Queen of Hearts Gala where Nicole Wexler was honored with a nomination for the “O” Award. Read all about it here:

We’re also proud to be listed as a resource on the following websites:

Chances to win something this month include our Decoration Interrogation section below where we answer another reader’s decorating dilemma; as well as our big Holiday Trivia Challenge. If you would like to be in the running for some free advice and a shot at winning a $25 Target gift card; or to enter our Holiday Trivia Challenge for a chance to win a $50 Amazon, Starbucks or Target gift card, send your question - or your answers! - to Nicole@TurquoiseDecor.com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

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Issue 9, November 2009

Events Spotlight

n Catch us live with Sue Lundquist and Shawn De Nae Eddy on the I’m Thankful™ Network radio show 1150AM KKNW on Thursday, 11/24/2009 at 9-10 am. We will be sharing decorating tips for the holidays. An audio and visual of the show will also be streaming LIVE at www.imthankful.com

n Annual Holiday Gallery Party (Free Event) 12/04/2009 8-10pm at Gasworks Gallery 3815 4th Ave NE Seattle WA 98105. Join Matt Jones and friends at Gasworks Gallery for their huge free annual holiday gallery party and studio opening celebrating the delivery of 90,000 pounds of spuds, the following day, to King 5 Team Harvest Food Drive.

n Friends of FSH Research FiSHing for a Cure Caribbean Nights Gala 01/30/2010 in the Bellevue Hyatt's NEW Grand Ballroom with Auctioneer John Curley and Emcee David Rose.
Turquoise Décor has donated a beautiful glass mosaic table to the auction. Attend and help support finding a cure for the most prevalent form of Muscular Dystrophy - follow this link to make your Reservations.

Remember that our referral program enables clients and friends to earn money by referring new clients.

For every new client that you refer to us, we will give you 10% of the project's value (up to a total referral bonus of $1,000).

Here

Before You Decorate, Interrogate!

Are you facing a decorating dilemma? Do you own something you’re not certain how to display effectively? Here’s your chance to get some free advice! AND, if we feature your decorating question in our next issue, we'll send you a $25 Target gift card.

Yes, I have a decoration interrogation!

Text Box: Answer: Hi Tabea, many people with a small space make the mistake of filling the room with lots of small things which ends up causing an untidy and muddled look. It is often better to have one large, over-sized object, such as a piece of furniture or a piece of art, as a focal point and then to keep the rest of the décor very clean and simple. Another way to increase the illusion of space is to choose a paint color from the mid-range tones (not white or beige as many people tend to think!). Complement your main color with a contrasting color to create interest. This gives the eye something to focus on, and increases the sense of spaciousness. In short, a smaller room can be made to look bigger by creating an arrangement that allows the eye to focus.

This month’s question:

My husband and I live in an apartment, which can sometimes seem very crammed. What are ways we can make our small space seem larger? Is there a rule of thumb for proportions, such as for sofas and tables, to accent the space rather than overwhelm it?

Tabea B., Woodinville

Fresh and Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas

by Nicole Wexler and Irit Shechtman

Whether you have very modern taste, like to be different, or are very traditional at heart, we have a bunch of great holiday decorating ideas for you in this issue.

Contents:

Easy and Contemporary Alternatives to the Traditional Color Palette

The Natural Look Alternatives to the Traditional Tree

Hanukkah Alternatives to the Traditional Wreath/Garland

Holiday Ornament Picks Alternatives to the Traditional Stocking

Easy and Contemporary

If you’re tired of the endless rows of red and green baubles in the shops and long for a style that’s somewhat more hip, we have a great display suggestion for you - display colored holiday ornaments in glass vases and containers of all shapes and sizes. Don’t be afraid to mix colors or display glass containers in groups. Here are some examples and product suggestions:

Don’t want to spend money on new glass containers? You can pretty much use any kind of glass container to display your existing assortment of holiday ornaments. For example, here we’ve used salad bowls! The ornaments shown here are all available from Crate & Barrel.

Alternatives to the Traditional Color Palette

Traditionally, red and green are the colors of the holidays. In recent years, we’ve seen holiday ornaments produced in a rainbow of colors. But, if bright and glitzy isn’t your style, you may be stumped about how to bring in that festive cheer in a more understated way. We’re going to share some of our favorite examples with you:

Holiday Trivia Challenge

It’s the holidays, so we’ve got an extra-special trivia challenge: to win this one, you have to be the first person to email correct answers to ALL THREE questions to Nicole@TurquoiseDecor.com - do so and you could win a $50 gift card - your choice of Starbucks, Amazon or Target!

1. Which Native American chief was invited to the first Thanksgiving feast?

(a) Tecumseh (b) Seattle (c) Massasoit (d) Geronimo

2. For Hanukkah, traditional foods are prepared using which of the following processes?

(a) Baking (b) Boiling (c) Frying (d) Freezing

3. The poinsettia, a traditional Christmas flower, originally grew in which country?

(a) Italy (b) Portugal (c) Mexico (d) England

The answer to the Fall Trivia Challenge was (a) Turnips.

Restoration Hardware Westport Glass Hurricane Collection

These Multicolor Clear Glass Ball Ornaments (LEFT) from CB2 - sold in sets of four, one of each color for only $10 (4” in diameter) are simply gorgeous, especially when displayed together.

We also like CB2’s Fin Bowl Vase $24.95 (LEFT) and their Cylinder Vases (RIGHT) $16.95-$44.95

This is a great example (RIGHT) demonstrated by Point Click Home (Elle Décor and Metropolitan Home)

If you have a number of smaller objects, rather group them together en masse. For instance, a group of family photographs in frames on a small side table looks far more impressive that having them spread out all over the room. Similarly, a group of small ornaments together also looks more effective than scattering your collection all around the space.

As fillers we like these small versions of traditional glass ball ornaments (LEFT) by Pottery Barn. $18 for a set of 18.

The Westport Glass Hurricane Collection (LEFT) from Restoration Hardware make great containers ($25 - $129).

Or display your baubles in these clear Cube Wall Shelves (LEFT) from CB2 ($19.95)

In these examples from CB2.com, the holiday décor works with the room’s existing color palette - allowing the occupants to remain true to their personal style.

If your room has an existing bold splash of accent color already, as in the example at far right, use more neutral holiday decorations that will contrast rather than compete.

In the example below right, a monochromatic palette has been used very effectively. If you’d like to keep your Christmas white, we suggest the following products from CB2.com:

White felt trees (LEFT) $4.95-$9.95

(RIGHT)

Lumiere Candlesticks $2.95-$4.95; Glass Snowman $6.95

For those who love color, but want a clean, uncluttered look, we love the example at right by PointClickHome.com - the combination of fresh lime and turquoise accents with a preppy plaid theme brings a sense of spaciousness to the room. We love the homemade ribbon garland on the mantel, as well as the homemade trio of stretched fabric canvases on the wall above it.

A very under-utilized color for this time of year is yellow. Teamed with green, it can be a fresh and uplifting alternative to red. One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to incorporate yellow into a holiday color scheme is by using lemons. Team them up with green holiday ornaments to create a beautiful centerpiece, or mix them with holiday ornaments in glass containers.

The Natural Look

If your personality is more earthy and warm, and you prefer natural textures, there are many holiday decorating options available to you. We love the range of natural products from West Elm (see below), and on page 2 we’ll go into more detail about specific ways to bring nature inside over the holidays.

Some of our favorites include natural Bone Orbs (below left) - $12 from WestElm.com; David Stark Natural-weave Trees (below middle) - $19-$79 also from WestElm.com; and Birch Pillar Candles (below right) $15-$69 from Pottery Barn.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

Bottle Brush Trees (LEFT) $39.95-$79.95;

Fuzzy Snowballs (BELOW) $1.95-$4.95