Design Your Perfect Bedroom

Your bedroom should be the oasis in your apartment, so you want that space to feel as large as possible, whether it is actually large or not. You can use the decor and furniture pieces in your bedroom to manipulate the size of the space. So how do you make a room feel larger than it is? Try these tricks from Apartment Therapy:





1. Bed drawers and multi-tier nightstands
It's not within every budget to buy a bed that has built-in storage, but in this small and closet-less space, it appears to have been a vital element to ensure this small space actually functioned the way they needed it. Another fun storage feature? Not just one nightstand, but three, on each side! Floating nightstands have long been a smart choice for small spaces, but here, the addition of even more wall-mounted (or in this case, headboard-mounted) ledges means more room for both needed and decorative objects.


2. A large, horizontal wall-mounted mirror
We all know that wall-mounted reflective surfaces like mirrors work magic in small spaces, and in here it's no different. They chose to add the mirror to the wall opposite the door, which is a smart move since it'll reflect an image of the other room, making it feel a little more open than it actually is.


3. A sliding door
For privacy, you can't beat a door. For saving space and adding privacy, you can't beat a sliding door, which they made here themselves using mostly items found at Home Depot.
DIY Home Decor: How To Make a Sliding Door for Under $40


4. Light-colored black-out drapes that blend
For those who need a lot of darkness to sleep peacefully, black-out drapes (lined with dark, light-blocking fabric) are a must. But keep the side of the drapes that face the bedroom a light color, preferably a similar color to the wall. This will help them blend in and expand the look of the space visually.


5. A minimal style
It just makes sense — small spaces need less stuff, and keeping the decorative elements to a minimum will help keep a small space from feeling cluttered. But, that doesn't mean you have to keep everything out. As this small bedroom proves, you can find a good balance between art, decorative elements and more and still have a room that feels spacious for its size.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

We hope everyone has a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Change Your Room in Just A Color Scheme

Image courtesy of Boa-Franc

Changing the feel of your apartment can be as simple as playing the color-scheme in your place. So rather than going renovation crazy, you can simply update a few accessories by following the color coordination tips below, (courtesy of renters.apartments.com).

First thing to know are the 6 different types of color schemes; monochromatic, complementary, split-complementary, double-complementary, triad and analogous. 

Second thing to know is the color wheel. They're all the same when you search them on Google Images.

Third thing to know is that red, blue and yellow are your primary colors while green, orange and purple are secondary. Everything else falls into place.

Monochromatic
If you can just remember that mono- is a prefix meaning "single" or "one" you'll be able to remember this one super easily. A monochromatic scheme is pretty much when you've taken your space and applied various hues or tints of the same shade. I think this idea works super well in a laundry room or bathroom; something you don't plan on changing for a while but want to have a nice feel and flavor in. I also say that the best way to pull off this scheme is to keep the walls either a cream, white or grey base color. Painting the ceiling a shade from this scale can really bring a nice pop without having an overdose of color.

Complementary
Everyone remembers complementary colors from their elementary art class. To make this scheme you pick one color from the color wheel and match it to the color directly across from it. Examples would be Christmas (red and green) or the University of Illinois (blue and orange.) My advice on this is to remember that your primary and secondary colors all come in so many different shades, and you really need to remember that. I struggled with only imagining bright orange and royal blue, which can look okay but is also a very bold jump if you've kept to basic colors the whole time. An idea to start this off in a very calm way is to pastel one of your colors and make the other be bold. Baby powder blue with bold orange? Pastel yellow with a rich plum? Yes and yes please.

Split-Complementary
This is where we're treading waters; in a split-complementary scheme you pick your base color you want to deal with, find it's complement and then use the two colors next to it on either side of the wheel. For example, if I chose a blue-green as my base color, my split-complement scheme would include blue-green, orange and red. Typically the farther down I'll go on this list the bolder your scheme will become, and split-complementary is no exception. My suggestion would be to take your base color as a wall coating, utilize one split color in the furniture and then the second as just a splash in either the curtains, rug or throws. 

Double-Complementary
By definition a double-complementary scheme is "four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs." Chances are you'll never perfect this in a way you'll love (unless you're a BIG risk taker.) The best way I can help you visualize this is with a teenage girls room; teal and red-orange (burnt orange) paired with yellow-green and a red-violet (deep pink.) This scheme is super hard to harmonize correctly but can be done well in an apartment, as it actually allows for you to pick a bunch of colors to have in maybe a bed spread or in a kitchen, especially if you have neutral walls.

Triad
This one's simple to remember, the prefix tri- means "three." Three colors on the wheel that are equally spaced from each other will create this funky theme. Easily enough this combo could just as easily be your primary or secondary colors just grouped together as normal. This example is the featured image of this post, which I stumbled upon during my class and fell in love with. 

Analogous
Last but not least we have analogous, which is simply just colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One of the most popular choices of this scheme tends to be usage of your blues, greens and yellow-greens. However, with the way the wheel works this is your best choice if you want a little variety, but something not quite as bold of funky as the above mentioned.

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Easy Everyday Dinner

Do you need to make quick easy dinners on your busy days?  The Kitchn has found the easiest ways to bake chicken.  The best part about this recipe is that leftovers can be used for up to three months.  Check out the recipe below.

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Movie Discounts on Tuesdays

Did you know that several movie theaters in the Pittsburgh area have discounts on Tuesdays?  Tuesdays are the perfect day to grab some friends and family and see a movie.  There are many theaters throughout the area that offer this discount.  You can learn more at Living Pittsburgh.

Cinemark Theaters- Discount Tuesdays offers $5.50 admission at the Robinson Township location, and $5 admission at the Galleria Pittsburgh Mills and Monaca locations.

Chartiers Valley Stadium 18 – Tuesday Bargain with $5 admission.

North Versailles Stadium 18 – Bargain $4 Tuesdays.

The Oaks Theater in Oakmont – $5 admission and discounted concessions.

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8 Things To Not Put In Your Freezer

Is your freezer packed to the brim?  There are many things that do not belong in your freezer that may end there.  These items take up space, and they also do not save well in these conditions. Keep reading to learn about what to clean out of your freezer this weekend.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

As you know by now, I'm a huge fan of the cook and freeze method. I've been doing it for almost half my lifetime which probably makes me officially "old." I've frozen everything from lemon juice to lasagne to buttercream frosting. I know which casseroles my family loves and which ones are better left unmade.

Also? I've learned that there are indeed a few foods better left unfrozen.

Over the years I've been able to adapt our family's favorite recipes for freezing in order to save time and to preserve ingredients that I find at a great price. Almost any cooked recipe that you love can be frozen at some stage in the game, even if it's just roasting the peppers and slicing the onions that you'll use in a freshly made skillet dish.

While there's a long list of things that will freeze well, there's also a short list of things that don't belong in your freezer:

1. Blocks of cheese - Cheese will freeze well, but its texture often undergoes a transformation, making it crumbly instead of easy to slice or shred. Instead of freezing the whole block, do your shredding and slicing prior to freezing.
2. Soft cheeses, like Brie or Camembert - Again, the texture changes when soft cheese are frozen and thawed. They won't go "bad", but they won't work for fresh uses.
3. Salad greens or other vegetables for fresh use - You can freeze spinach and other hearty greens that you plan to cook, but those you plan to serve fresh are better left unfrozen. Soggy salad? No thanks.
4. Canned goods - Canned goods are shelf-stable; they don't need to be frozen. And I'm pretty sure the can will explode if you try. However, if you open a can of something, like chipotle peppers in adobo, and decide you can't use it all in the next four days, feel free to repackage it for freezing.
5. Eggs in the shell - Ever forget a soda in the freezer? Yeah, same thing will happen to the egg. Things expand when they freeze. Don't put whole eggs in the freezer, but you can mix up a quiche and freeze that (unbaked).
6. Cream sauces - Cream-based sauces can separate during freezing making them a less preferred candidate for freezing. However, I have frozen soups with cream many times. If you're curious about your recipe, freeze a small amount next time you make it, thaw, and do a taste test.
7. Mayonnaise - Mayonnaise is another item whose texture doesn't hold up well. Store it in the fridge instead.

Short list, right? The most important thing not to freeze, though, is...

Any food you don't like - If you don't like it, then it shouldn't be taking up valuable real estate in your freezer. It's kitchen clutter that you will be better off without. At some point, it's okay to declare freezer bankruptcy on the things you just can't deal with. Give yourself a clean slate and stock up on the foods you do love.

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Valentine's Day Ice Skate

Valentine's Skate at Schenley Park is a great tradition for you and a loved one this Saturday.  The four dollar admission price includes many awesome giveaways to help celebrate the holiday.  Keep reading and you can learn more at Living Pittsburgh.

Enjoy a special opportunity to skate with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day. Romance will fill the air at the Schenley Park Skating Rink on February 14 when couples enjoy a magical night of skating outdoors – with a view of the sparkling Downtown Pittsburgh skyline as the backdrop. Skate to romantic music under the stars…then warm up inside with salsa dance lessons and a mini-massage before savoring chocolates, hot beverages and pizza. This event is for ages 18 and older,

Last year this was a 2-for-1 special admission price* ($4 per couple) that included:

• rose to first 175 couples compliments of Alex’s Flowers.com in Oakland
• assorted chocolates to first 175 couples courtesy of Betsy Ann Chocolates
• mini-massage compliments of Massage Envy of Squirrel Hill
• free dance lessons courtesy of Jeff & Colleen Shirey of Salsa Pittsburgh
• chance to compete in “Go for the Heart” puck shooting contest
• pizza compliments of Lucci’s Pizza in Squirrel Hill
• keepsake photo with your sweetheart

For updates on this years event, please call 412-422-6523.

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