Red, White & Blue . Amazing . Everyday

Summer's here and the red, white and blue season begins. It happens every summer mostly impart because of our patriotic holidays. The colors represent American to many of us. 

It makes me feel proud when I see our country's flag on display. You know... freedom, mom's apple pie and simpler times. Aside from that, the color combination fascinates me with rich navy blue (a fav of mine), crisp white and the pop of red.

I am not alone in this since designers, product developers, brand enthusiastic use RW&B all the time. Think of the most memorable logo's and what color are they? FaceBook, Twitter, Dell, Sears are blue and Comcast, Bank of America, ESPN and YouTube are red.

Ralph Lauren built his brand based on it...

Interior designers know how to use the rich color combination without it screaming USA!

I mean look at this chair.  Adore it!

Really, how chic is this outfit? 

Not sure why....but find a group of bikers and you are sure to see RW&B on their leather jackets, head scarfs and pants.

Promise not to laugh but my fascination began in the 70's when I first married. It was shortly before the Bi-Centennial and RW&B was completely the rage in fashion and decor.

You may think I lost my mind! My couch was RW&B along with the floor lamp currently hidden stored the attic along with it's cousin the Betsy Ross lamp. I swear I was so hip!

Thank goodness my taste has matured like fine wine. Now a days, I rather be at the beach relaxing on a lounger with crisp red cushions and blue accent pillows. After, I will head out for a little dinner...

in this sweet boat with the escort included.

Wisteria Cleaning Company would like to thank the brave men and women serving our country. It is such an unselfish thing to do.

Happy Memorial Day!

Betty

Brimfield Tweet Up . Amazing . Everyday

Whew...I am exhausted after an exciting trip to Brimfield, Massachusetts to attend the Brimfield Antique Show. It is one of the largest antique and vintage shows in the Northeast and easily hosts thousands of vendors. I have blogged about my love for finding vintage furniture and putting my mark on it. But I had another reason for taking the 4 1/2 hour drive.

YEP! The Brimfield Tweet Up! The brain child of Gretchen Aubuchon, Fashion and Decor, and Cynthia Bogart, The Daily Basics. They bring together interior designers. bloggers, design enthusiasts and vintage hounds  with sponsors such as Benjamin Moore Paint, Aubuchon Hardware, Kathryn Markel Fine Art, Company C and media partner Style at Home. It is a three day networking event with shopping involved. The ultimate! Introduce yourself by your twitter handle and more than likely you end up in an embrace because these are the tweet friends you talk to most days but never met in real life.

Most attendees are women who own and manage their own business. It was refreshing to listen to women exchange ideas on how to attract clients, readers and how they could help each other grow their businesses. What kept running through my mind was...this is the 2012 version of "the good old boy's club" and we are brain storming in our own unique way. One thing I learned is...large retail companies ask bloggers to blog about a product or service but are not always paying the bloggers. As women and business owners we should not give our work away. This is just my casual business observation and not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. I will admit to being a little bit of rebel and my "protesting days from the 70's" surface every now and then...but all companies regardless of their size have budgets for advertising.

Business getting done! Look at the happy faces of these women....I think a lamp just found a shade but you will have to visit @Casualinterior  or @Doovah to find out. 

I met some wonderful vendors like Rebecca Brawn  who strips antique chairs down to the frames...

and works her magic. After chatting with her I learned she started her business after raising 5 children. She wanted to do something for herself and never expected she would grow large enough to employee a staff.  Most of her clients are designers and she now buys the chairs in bulk to keep up with the demand. I am a sucker for this type of success story. She is working on getting a website and did not know anything about social media. So I made an introduction to a social media expert and finger's crossed maybe business will get done.

Gotta love Randy! One of the few vendors I met at Brimfield who uses social media. If you look at the bottom of the sign you will see his blog address jerseypicker.tumblr.com.  Brilliant tactic!

The message on this sign says it all....because if you read my bio I said I might slip in a blog about sales. 

At the end of my two days at Brimfield, I was tired from walking miles but left with a huge smile on my face. I made new friends, built new relationships and had an amazing experience. Sign Me Up for September!

Betty

Steam . Amazing . Everyday

Courtesy of Tumbler

Find it hard to believe it is the end of April and the Wisteria is in bloom. Most people asked if we named the company after Desperate Housewives of Wisteria Lane and the answer is "NO". Wisteria, the flower, starts out as a small vine and needs support to grow but once it takes root it is evasive and can grow for hundreds of years.....so you can see why we named our company Wisteria Cleaning. A metaphor for success! Today's blog is not about flowering wisteria... so onto the real topic of the day.

Recently, a few twitter friends tweeted me questions on how to resolve simple household problems. I am flattered when this happens, so thank you! But what really struck me was my answer to each question was the same...use a steamer.  I will tell you I am not being paid to endorse any steamers only relaying our experiences.

The virtues of using steam to clean your home are endless but I will give you a few facts.

• Kills 99.98% of surface germs and bacteria
• Environmentally friendly - you use only water
• No cleaning products necessary
• Cost for steamers are around $130 and will pay for themselves quickly
• The list of what you can clean with a steam is only limited to your imagination 

Don't stop reading yet... let me make a believer out of you.

The tile entryway is in my sister Rosemarie's house and is about 5 years old. During this time she used traditional cleaning methods and products and the grout is discolored.

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Now do have your attention? This is the same entryway after she used a handheld steamer. The grout is white again and the silver trim is even shinning. If you think she scrub awhile the answer is no.  Steam quickly loosens the dirt and grim and then wipe with a rag.

I swear this is my favorite use...because trying to get price stickers off of vases, mirrors, glasses or china has ruined many of good manicures. Steam will take the sticker right off and the adhesive too. 

Hand held steamers come with a variety of attachments. So I felt compelled to try each and every one.  I was a steaming machine! Window screens, gas grill, stove top, micro waive, glass window on oven door, glass shower door, bathroom tile, toilet seat and base, sliding glass door track, door knobs, tile floor and freshen drapery and pillows. Carpet - Steam will get rid of impression marks in carpet left from furniture or the Christmas tree stand. Hit with steam and fibers will pop back into place.

Steam cleaning is addictive and I rank it right up there with my IPhone and IPad. Can't live without them.

Easter . Amazing . Everyday

Photo by Eddie Ross

The table setting is absolutely beautiful! I have a collection of blue and white dinnerware, a ton of blue and white vases and even have a tablecloth very similar to the one on the table. Makes me wish  I was hosting Easter Dinner for a quick minute. 

It also made me think...what I would do if I had the time. Women are faced with this dilemma everyday and time is our enemy. Recall a boss admitting she forgot to buy Easter candy for her daughter and remembered at 8:00 the night before. So planning a beautiful Easter table is not on most of our radar.

Should it be? I'll admit I am a sucker for the creative elegance of it all. When I host a dinner it is all about the details and drive myself crazy. May be the reason I do not do it more often. 

So if I had the time...

I would dig out my ceramic bunnies and spray paint them white...

This adorable trio would be sitting on my kitchen counter...

I would decoupage beautiful eggs for place settings...

Or  maybe these...

I would make this center piece to make my grandchildren smile...

I would buy make Italian Easter Bread...

I would tap into my creative energy and create an original center piece and share the how to's with all...If I had the time.

This year I will celebrate Easter with my family, wish my children and their families did not live hundreds of miles away and say a little prayer that all women find the middle ground between serving Easter dinner on paper plates and Royal Dalton China.

Happy Easter! 

Images and Inspiration Eddie Ross, Pottery Barn, Tumblr , Pinterest and the Italian Dish

Bedding . Amazing . Everyday

Oh! Does this bed make me want to hop under the covers and lay in the lap of luxury. The whole room screams serenity, romance and "Do I really have to get up to go to work".

If you notice the star of the show is the bed and the bedding! White on white and the texture on the comforter is the kicker. How you dress your bed creates ambiance and can change your mood just by walking into it.

Dressing the perfect bed is easy and can fit everyone's price range. Color choice is personal but I love white on white bedding. Love the serene, romantic and timeless look. You can add additional pieces to a white linen collection over time. Not necessary to have each piece matchy matchy. White is the easy color to remove stains so don't shy away!

Making a Bed

If you have an older mattress add a feather top mattress...you will not be sorry.

Sheets -I like cotton sheets and purchase the highest thread count I can afford but the feel is also important. So yes, I am the person who opens the pack of sheets for a feel test. If you try this be discreet. My favorite are Royal Velvet Antique Sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond.

• Place a fitted sheet on the box spring and mattress
• Lay the top sheet with the decorative side facing down. 
• Add a blanket perfect for the season and then fold the decorative part of the sheet over the top.
• Add the comforter you love and a throw blanket on the foot of the bed.

Pillows! How many are too many? I am sure you have had a few complaints about the number of pillows on the bed. Experts recommend a Euro Sham, Standard Sham, Bed Pillow and a accent pillow not only for look but each has a purpose. Euro Sham is perfect for people who like to prop a pillow and read in bed. 

Now to finish off the spa treatment there is a few tricks. Wrinkles on pillow cases can be smoothed out with a spray bottle of water. Simply spritz and smooth. Add a few sprigs of lavender to the bottle and spritz the sheets...the scent will lull you to sleep.

And now a peek at a few inspiration rooms...

Adore the blue throw blanket...

Chandelier and gray walls....

I see a young girl feeling special while she dreams...

Love the doors and tile but would change the comforter...

Rustic and beachy at the same time...

When I grow up...

Thinking of painting the floors in my guest bedroom white....

Buying linens is not an everyday purchase and usually we only buy them when we redecorate our bedrooms. But for my money...just updating and making your bed special with the right linens and pillows will change your room...

Sleep Tight...

Inspiration and photos from Pottery Barn, Pinterest, Google Images and BHG

Spring . Amazing . Everyday

Today is the first day of spring and I should be busy writing a post about spring cleaning.  But the  temperature feel more like May and I have a full blown case of spring fever.  My brain is saying keep the course but my heart is screaming get outdoors, plant a garden, take a ride!

So I listen to my heart and changed out my dinning room center piece to something a little brighter. Something saying spring is here...

Next stop was Lowe's  to purchase pansies and mulch. Love fresh mulch...it screams spring as it defines my day lilies and tulips which are have already surfaced.  As I loaded six bags of mulch into the cart one thought went through my mind..."this is why more women are not mass murderers..we can't carry the dead body."  I am still thinking this when approach the checkout and the young male employee make a face because the bar codes on the bag are facing down.  Little did he know how lucky he really was since I  cannot carry dead weight. I admit it is not a spring like thought! By now I have worked up a hunger and there is only one place for me to go!

Stewart's Root Beer Stand, a landmark for many,  has stood in this spot since 1940. Owned and operated by the same family the entire time.  It opens in March and closes in October. It is a ritual of spring around here...the place I went as a teenager to hang out, the place I took my kids to and now my grandchildren. Generations of families come back every year and it is no different for my family. Of course, I  could not resist sending pics to my children and sisters. Everyone has their favorite order! Hot dogs, Pork Roll, California Burgers...

Yep...they only have car side service. The” carhops”  are male and wear white uniforms. So nostalgic!  I was greeted the same way he greets me every year "Hello Gorgeous" which makes my day. While I was waiting for my order, I noticed an elderly women waiting for a takeout order at the counter. Seems my carhop guy was not allowing her to pay for her order. I could over hear her saying "if you do this I can't come here anymore". Depression area people are a proud bunch and she reminded me of my grandmother. The carhop gently rubbed her arm, kissed her on the cheek and sent her on her way.  Secretly, I could have hugged him because despite her protest he made her day!

So as I sat in my car eating my cheesesteak sandwich, I thought "yep" it is Spring! Flowers ate blooming, I am wearing flip flops, just witnessed such a sweet act of kindness and tomorrow ....

I will write the post about spring cleaning!

Betty

Inspiration from Google Images and my photographs

Spring . Amazing . Everyday