Apple iPhone Weakness to be Resolved

At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas a security researcher demonstrated Thursday the vulnerability of the iPhone, reported AppleInsider.Charlie Miller, co-author of The Mac Hacker’s Handbook, revealed how hackers could gain complete control of a person’s iPhone. The weakness allows hackers to access the iPhone camera, dialer, messaging, Safari and more personal data among other

Microsoft to Open Retail Stores in Fall

Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that the company had signed two leases, where Microsoft will open retail stores this fall, reported CNET.Microsoft will be opening the new stores around the same time that the company releases its new operating system, Microsoft 7, which is due out on October 22, reported CNET. The company said that retail stores would open in close proximity to Apple stores, in an

Microsoft Makes Deal with Yahoo!

Microsoft announced Wednesday that a 10-year-deal had been made with Yahoo, which holds the second-largest number of search engine users; setting Microsoft at a higher elevation to target search engine giant, Google, reported ABC News.The deal between Microsoft and Yahoo is not exclusive, said executives, and Yahoo could choose a different partner, reported the Washington Post. The arrangement

Apple Rejects Google Voice App for iPhone

Apple and AT&T continue to reject Google Inc. applications. Google Inc. announced last week that its Latitude application for Apple’s iPhone was originally a more full-scale application, but was forced to make compromises after Apple claimed that the application was “too similar” to the Maps application offered on the iPhone, reported DailyTech.Google Inc.’s Google Voice has been the most recent

Saphris Shows Positive Results in Mentally Impaired

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that an experimental psychiatric drug, Saphris, appeared to be safe and effective, reported Reuters.Reuters reported that a panel of outside psychiatrists would examine and vote on Thursday whether or not the FDA should approve the drug; however, the FDA is not required to make its decision based on the vote.Schering-Plough Corp. conducted four

BLACK AND WHITE DAMASK BEDDING

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Wonder of all wonders, black and white damask bedding sets are among the bed linens that will go marching off to decorate the college dorm room of the stylish young coed. If my eyes are not playing tricks on me, there will be more than a few decorating teenage girls bedrooms who are still living at home with mom and dad as well.

And unlike many fabrics that must undergo an extreme makeover before entering the inner sanctum of teen decor, today’s damask fabrics are for sale with pretty much the same print that was used in parlors and girl’s bedrooms decades ago.

The pattern that is enjoying a resurgence of popularity for all intent and purposes may not have changed but let me warn you not to bolt out and shop for yards of vintage damask print fabric thinking that you can pick it up for an inexpensive price, sew a duvet cover, a bed skirt and some window treatments to surprise your teenage daughter. To do so is setting yourself up for a decorating disaster and a confrontation with your tween or teen girl that you could easily avoid by reading further.

The current trend of decorating bedrooms with damask bedding sets is not just about the print. If you dig a little deeper you will see that pictures of teenage girls’ bedrooms (or adults’ rooms) in home decorating magazines are flowing over with girls black and white bedroom ideas. Don’t be a maverick and convince yourself that your daughter is interested in creating her own unique decorating trend just because you have enough red, blue or gold fabric on hand to make a ceiling tent, bedding and curtains and have yards left over. Unless you have found some fabric for pink and black damask bedding, don’t waste your time or your money.

There are cheap black and white damask bed in a bag sets for less than a hundred ($100) dollars that will put a smile on your daughter’s face and keep your checkbook balance from going into the red. Return to Teenage Girl Black and White Damask Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas for more updates on what decorations are popular with teen girls at any given moment.

Cardiac Stem Cell Treatment Shows Positive Signs

A Louisville, Kentucky man who volunteered for a Phase I clinical trial in hopes to repair his damaged heart is showing improvement, reported EmaxHealth. Michael Jones, 66, a self-employed contractor, had suffered two heart attacks as well as severe congestive heart failure before being treated with cardiac stem cells, reported EmaxHealth.The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that Jones said, “

Ted Kennedy Watches Health Care Debate from Home

While Congress continues to debate the intricacies of President Obama’s health care plan, Senator Ted Kennedy anxiously watches from his home as he battles brain cancer, reported the Los Angeles Times.Kennedy, 77, the third-longest-serving senator in history, has been fighting for this kind of legislation for 46 years, reported the Los Angeles Times.The Boston Herald reported that yesterday, July

CHOCOLATE BROWN BEDDING

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Have you heard that dark chocolate is good for you? Is this why requests for chocolate brown bedding sets are filling my voice mailbox to the point of bursting so early in the year? I would have to check my date book of past decorating projects and then pull the pictures of bedrooms decorated in brown that I have organized according to date in my portfolio to be certain. But, right off the bat I can’t recall a year when hibiscus flowers and tropical prints were replaced with warm colors before the leaves started to turn from bright green to shades of red, gold and brown.

Maybe the desire to rest in a nest of chocolate brown bedding has to do with the cold (can 80 degrees in July be considered cold?) front that brought unseasonably low temperatures and a seemingly unending supply of dreary, rain soaked days. Girls, more than boys, are fickle creatures (and I include myself in this group) that are affected by the weather which makes the Hawaiian comforter that they adored when the surf was up and the sun was shining lose its luster. Perhaps my clients are reaching for chocolate brown bedding that represents warmth, comfort and a secure feeling prematurely. But who knows which way the wind will blow between now and when the true first day of fall actually arrives. There may be a temporary moment of regret, should perfect beach weather return for an extended period of time, that the bright sunny colors are gone from the bedroom but it will soon be replaced with relief that we are way ahead of the game when it comes to our fall decorating duties.

It may be awhile before I dive into fall colors in a big way but be sure to return to Teenage Girl Chocolate Brown Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas so that you don't miss anything!

A Starbucks by Any Other Name

Starbucks, the coffee company that operates over 15,000 coffee shops, opened a new shop under the name of 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea, reported NPR.Starbucks Coffee Co. is trying to relieve the company’s corporate image by creating a coffee shop with, what Tim Pfeiffer, the senior vice president of global design at Starbucks, calls “a community personality,” reported the New York Times. The only

Agent Orange Linked to Two More Illnesses

The Veterans Affairs Department sponsored a study by the Institute of Medicine, which released a report Friday that indicated the possible link between Agent Orange, Parkinson’s and ischemic heart disease, reported USA Today.The Associated Press reported that a “VA spokeswoman said the department is reviewing the study to determine the full extent of the toxic effects of Agent Orange so exposed

eCigarettes Cause Cancer Too?

The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that electronic cigarettes contain carcinogens and a chemical used in antifreeze, reported the Washington Post.These findings contradict the manufacturers’ claims that the electronic cigarette is a safe alternative to more traditional cigarettes and include little more than water vapor, nicotine and propylene glycol – which is used to produce

Apple and AT&T Together, Not Forever

Though Apple Inc.’s iPhone has brought many customers to AT&T, currently the only provider of iPhones in the U.S., the company’s net income fell during the second quarter, reported PC World.The company’s net income fell 15.2 percent compared to last year, reported PCWorld. Though AT&T had a net increase of 1.37 million new wireless users, the company’s landline voice services fell dramatically,

Concealed Weapons to Stay Home for Vacation

The U.S. Senate narrowly voted against allowing a person with a concealed weapon permit from one state to cross state lines and continue to carry the concealed weapon, reported the Associated Press.Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, pushed for the legislation, which attached the amendment to a military defense bill, reported Reuters. The amendment was co-sponsored by many Democrats

Barnes & Noble, Plastic Logic, AT&T to Compete with Kindle

After the announcement of Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore and the company’s partnership with Plastic Logic to develop a device to read ebooks; Plastic Logic has announced a deal with AT&T, which will supply the necessary wireless internet connectionto the device, reported CNNMoney.com.PCMag.com reported that Richard Archuleta, chief executive of Plastic Logic said, “We're extremely proud to be able

Barnes & Noble Reenters eBook Scene

After an unspectacular five-year stint in the electronic book market that ran from 2001 until 2006, book retailer Barnes & Noble has reentered the scene, reported the Los Angeles Times.Betanews reported that Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore was launched Monday, July 20, and offered over 700,000 titles, compared to Amazon’s 300,000 titles. The Los Angeles Times reported Amazon’s figure.The Los Angeles

U.S., India Relations Growing

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Indian officials Sunday to discuss future collaborations, reported Time Magazine.The New York Times reported that Clinton said, “We will work not just to maintain our good relationship, but to broaden and deepen it.”While the U.S. and India were able to make some progress, the meetings did not proceed without argument.India’s Minister for Environment

German politician warns Israel not to commit “democratic suicide”

Israeli officials were advised Tuesday against the construction of more settlements in the West Bank by a senior member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Conservative party, reported Reuters.Ruprecht Polenz, the head of German Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee said that if Israel continued its settlements, then Israel runs the risk "of gradually committing suicide as a democratic state.”

From Blip.fm - Joni Mitchell

Song of the Day: Joni Mitchell's Cactus Tree. This song is so damn beautiful. Sometimes I forget. ♫ http://blip.fm/~addq9

TAYLOR SWIFT BEDROOM DECORATING IDEAS

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I have had to dream up a few rockstar bedroom decorating ideas for teenage girls in my day, but Taylor Swift bedroom decorating projects are unprecedented, at least until today. Usually tween and teen girls' demands for rock and roll bedding are met with bed in a bag sets with their favorite band's pictures on the comforter, framed wall posters and maybe some wallpaper border if the band is popular enough to have expanded its product line to include home decorations. But when my alarm clock went off this morning I had no clue that I was about to take rock and roll bedrooms to a whole new level. And surprisingly the bedroom's style had nothing to do with guitars or anything musical. The story of my introduction to Taylor Swift bedroom decor follows.

This morning I got a phone call from a desperate mother who begged for a consultation because she needed me to suggest decorations for a dorm room for her daughter. She had planned to do the job herself but had to leave town on business so she called me. I hesitated because this was going to put me in a bit of a scheduling bind and as I mentioned earlier, when I run behind schedule for one reason or another people tend to get angry and forget that they begged me to squeeze them in.

The lady on the phone could hear my reluctance and assured me that decorating her teenage girl’s bedroom would be the easiest job I ever took because her decorating ideas were taken directly from the Taylor Swift bedroom in her video "You Belong With Me". She said that her daughter wanted an exact copy of the bedding, the window treatments and the paint color. I remembered seeing a picture of Taylor Swift’s bedroom a few years back that had a bohemian look to it and I do so love to decorate bedrooms in a bohemian style so I finally told this frantic mom that I would take the job.

So, I headed over to watch the video on Youtube to see what decorative items I would need to decorate a bedroom Taylor Swift style and I quickly saw that this bedroom would be anything BUT Boho! The bedroom’s walls are painted lime green, with purple curtains and the bed and furniture were white wood. I’m not sure where they got the patchwork quilt on the bed but it was made from a combination of fabrics in non-descript colors and layered over striped tone on tone cream colored sheets. I suppose that the character that Taylor Swift was playing in the video was plain and frumpy (in the beginning at least) so the set designer decorated the bedroom to follow suit.

I looked on Pottery Barn Teens to see if I could find the exact quilt with no luck. However, I did find two or more that would work so much better with the lime green and purple that I hope that my client and her daughter will approve. One is the Graphic Pop quilt that is even pictured with a green wall similar to the one behind Taylor Swift in the video and the other one that I might present as a possibility has a tropical print. If she’s a stickler for the EXACT quilt that very well may present a problem so if you know the brand of the quilt, please return to this post where I am pondering Teenage Girls Taylor Swift Bedroom Decorating Ideas and let me know where to find it!

PURPLE PEACE SIGN COMFORTER SET

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I promised you an update on which peace sign comforter set was picked for the bedroom that I was decorating with peace signs. For those of you just tuning in, I mentioned in a post last week that I was on the fence over whether to buy a more expensive bedding set and be conservative with the bedroom’s decorations or to go with a cheap set and go all out on collectible peace signs and decor.

As soon as the teenage girl (and her mother) made a decision I resolved to type out my report. Well, the votes have been counted and after some rough moments behind the scenes (drum roll please), the peace sign bedding set that my clients agreed on was an inexpensive purple bed in a bag set that cost less than $100! Actually because she only needed a twin size set, it cost less than $50! Plus, the collection offered purple lamp shades, pillows and curtains with groovy peace signs on them if she had wanted them although she did not want them as she preferred to do her own thing.

Was this particular purple peace sign bedding set picked because the tween was wise beyond her years and wanted to do her part for the household budget? That would be an ending fit for a fairytale but sadly it would be just as fictitious. She made her decision based on the fact that she wanted a purple bedding set and it just so happened that one of the inexpensive peace sign comforter sets was, you guessed it, purple with black peace signs. Whereas, the expensive organic set was a very practical brown that she found boring in spite of the trendy organic fabric.

So I am now off to shop for vintage decor to complement the purple peace sign comforter set which is going to be no small job. However, there is plenty of cash left over for me to work with. Return to Tween and Teenage Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas and I’ll share what I bought to go with her purple peace sign bedding set.

LIME GREEN and TURQUOISE BLUE BEDDING

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I was in search of decorations for a tropical bedroom when this lime green and turquoise bedding set nearly made me drop my purse. It had all of the colors of the Lilly Pulitzer Via Roma collection (minus the palm trees) that I had planned to use plus some hot pink and orange that pulled me in.

It so appealing that pushed the mental picture I had formed of this project's ultimate design right out the window. But the broader range of colors, neither the modern look nor the cheap price of the bed in a bag was what prompted the swarm of decorating ideas that had this comforter set as the centerpiece churning in my mind; it was that mod, lime green headboard.

The pictures of the headboard shown with the cute, lime green and turquoise blue bedding set could be improved. I couldn’t help but think that if the wood used was thicker or if two layers of pressed board where used to make the openings more boxy then you would have both display and storage capabilities. Actually, it would probably be the most modern, bookcase headboard around and think of how plain, black books would stand out against the bright lime green paint.

If your "do it yourself" carpentry skills (like mine) fall short of making your own headboard for your teenage girl’s bedroom; I got a few ideas for getting done without risking losing a finger on a saw, on this page. I’m not too crazy about the skinny slatted headboard. I’m not even sure that painting it neon green to match the lime green and turquoise blue bedding set would save this design. Instead, I thought that it might be a good idea to pick up some wall shelves in different sizes, scuff them up, paint them lime green and hang them over the bed to use as a headboard. The lady I’m working for right now already has a headboard she’s using and she might reject anything I come up with besides a set of Lilly Pulitzer bedding but I just wanted to run that idea by my reader so they could give me some feedback before I give it a try. Return to Tween and Teenage Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see what my woodworking friend can come up with in the way of a homemade headboard to go with this comforter set.

The desert, my home.

It’s the time of year in the Las Vegas desert when it’s so hot outside it feels like your skin will melt off your body every time you step out of any fully air conditioned building or home. It’s the time of year when the average temperature hovers around 105 degrees and we are always above average. It’s the time of year when even the overnight temps don’t fall below 85 degrees. It’s the time of year when all outdoor activities are suspended unless a pool is involved. And even a day by the pool can be more trouble than it’s worth. I’m a natural redhead. I burn to a crisp in seconds. I apply 75 SPF sunscreen at least once an hour (thank goodness for the invention of spray on sunscreen!) when I’m going to be outdoors for any extended period of time. And I wear a big floppy hat, which, yes, makes me look funny but I look funnier when my skin is the color of a lobster.

But just when I’m cursing my fate of living in the desert for another horrendous summer, something happens to remind me why I love the desert, my home. The other night it was when I came out of the movie theaters at Aliante Station after seeing Casablanca (love). It was about 8:25pm and my truck was on the fourth floor of the parking garage. The sun was already set but still illuminated the sky to the northwest in a way that was brilliant and left layers of color above the city whose lights were just starting to blink on for the night. Instead of just getting into my truck and driving home, I walked over to the edge of the garage to watch as the last remnants of this setting sun changed the sky from blue to purple to black. And I took three pictures with my iPhone which I share with you now. A sky like this is why I love the desert.

You should really click on these pictures to make them larger. They are so much prettier larger!

From Blip.fm - Billie Holiday

I'm going to see Casablanca on the big screen tonight. Here's Billie doing "As Time Goes By" - ♫ http://blip.fm/~9ut7z

PEACE SIGN BEDDING SETS

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I’m faced with a difficult decorating decision; should I used cheap peace sign bedding sets when I can find them and fill the rest of the room with rare collectibles? Or should I choose one of the more expensive peace sign comforters and scale the cost of the girl’s bedroom decorations back to allow for what I spent on a high end, organic set?

I suppose that what REALLY has me in a quandary is whether or not the teenage girl whose bedroom I am decorating is into organic fabrics that make a social statement like hemp? After all, she did specifically request that her bedding set be decorated with peace signs. Or will plain, old cotton fabrics suit her needs? Once upon a time I had a client who was really insulted that I did realize that she would only use organically grown cotton bed linens so maybe I am over thinking this. Most of the teenage girls that want peace sign bedding sets are happy as can be so long as the colors in the bed in a bag are bright and funky and more importantly that there is enough money to buy some groovy peace sign art to decorate the walls of the room.

And frankly, some of the more expensive bedding collections are just not as colorful as the cheap bed in a bag sets. The queen size lime green and black peace sign bedding sets (or perhaps the one hot pink and black or even the purple and black would be best?) is just so much more in keeping with the mindset of the psychedelic days of the 60s and peace signs from that era. I must confess that I am just partial to the bright colors of tie-dye (or is it tye-dye?) but on the other hand there is something cute that attracts me to the Pottery Barn Kids brown set with an appliqued peace sign in the center of the comforter.

Return to Tween and Teenage Girl Peace Sign Bedding Sets and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see which set that my client ultimately chose for her room.

Up - A Review

I finally went to see Disney Pixar’s new animated feature UP the other night - in 3D no less! To summarize the plot, Up is about Carl, who as a quiet child is drawn to exploration and adventure, focusing intently on a famous adventurer of the time named Charles Muntz. He meets a neighborhood girl Ellie, who although the complete opposite of him in temperament, shares his passion. They let their imaginations run wild together as children and eventually grow up and marry. With every intention of going on wild adventures together, they instead find life continually getting in the way. It’s now years later, and Carl, a curmudgeonly widower finally decides to go on that adventure he and Ellie always planned by tying thousands of helium balloons to his house and flying himself down to South America. A neighborhood kid, Russell, a scout of sorts intent on earning his “aiding the elderly” badge accidentally stows away with Carl in his flying house and all sorts of adventure (prominently featuring an exotic bird, a gaggle of “talking” dogs, and the reclusive adventurer Muntz) does find them. Whew. I meant to summarize that a little more succinctly, but oh well.

The first 15 minutes of Up are quite possibly the most beautiful minutes of any animated feature I’ve ever seen. And I don’t mean just visually beautiful, they are emotionally chock full of the beauty of childhood wonderment and imagination, the strength of love that can grow between two people as they form a life together, and the tragedies that life can bring. After a brief scene where we see Carl and Ellie first meet as children, we get to see, in silent film fashion, their life together unfold. So much is learned about these characters in such a short amount of time: their hopes, their careers, their heartbreaks, their seemingly mundane everyday existence, and ultimately her death. By the end of this film within the film I was in tears. And although Ellie as an adult does not utter any lines of dialogue she is a fully fleshed character whose presence is felt throughout the film. I wish there was an entire movie of just Carl and Ellie’s life together. Get on that Pixar, I’ll watch it!

Widower Carl is heartbreaking in his sadness and retreat from the world. In your heart you know that Ellie would not have wanted this for him. When he makes his decision to finally go on their great adventure without her, you can’t help but be thrilled. And he does it so spectacularly with his thousands of balloons!

Little Russell is a delight and he brings welcome, cheerful, balance to our grumpy main man Carl. Although at first unwelcome, Russell eventually gives Carl what he was missing after the loss of Ellie: loyalty, friendship, wonder, joy.

A lot of the humor in the story comes when Russell and Carl are trekking through the jungle in the attempt to get the house to Paradise Falls. The exotic jungle bird that takes a shining to Russell (and the chocolate he feeds it) is appropriately brilliant in color and personality and the dogs, equipped with high tech collars that relay their thoughts into speech, that are tracking the bird are a delight. I cried with laughter when the menacing lead dog, called Alpha (haha), suffers from a malfunctioning speech collar. And the misfit of the bunch, Dug, who ends up befriending Carl and Russell, is perfectly goofy and one of the best things about the entire film.

Pixar really used 3D wonderfully here. Nothing jumps out at you in an obnoxious fashion. The 3D is more subtle, giving the entire movie more depth and really helping to create a tangible world. After Coraline and now this picture I’m excited about what 3D used right can add to a film.

Ultimately Up is a dazzling adventure story that teaches you the age old lesson that you can find adventure in your own backyard and that even the most mundane life can BE an adventure if you go through it happily with the ones you love. It also encourages you to remain open to love in whatever shape it comes in: wife, bird, dog, neighborhood kid. . . :)

I want to see it again.

LIPS BEDDING

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Would you classify lips bedding as retro? I’m on the fence as to whether a comforter set with big pink or red lips on a black background qualifies. Yet something in the graphics takes me back to the 80s and gave me the urge to experiment with using fabrics covered in them as well as decorative items in this shape for a college dorm that I am contracted to decorate for a girl who with the first glance at her outfit and her "big hair" made me think of a very young Madonna.

For this room that would actually be both a bedroom and sitting room, there was a need to tie the lips bedding set(or whatever style my college girl preferred) and the seating together in both color and design. As college girls usually don’t object to lots of color in their living area I thought that in light of the theme of the bedding that I would at the very least look for some pillows shaped like lips.

Boy howdy, did I ever hit the jackpot! Not only did I hit pay dirt in the pillow department I found the perfect sofa that would coordinate with the print of the fabric in the bedding set. I lucked up and came across a funky, red lips couch. The sofa will only sit two comfortably as it’s only about four feet wide, but the scale actually works with the small size of the dorm room better than a big sofa. And the red is a good match to the shades of red in the lips on the comforter. Granted, a lips shaped sofa is not for everybody, but for this young lady who is a throwback to rock stars from the 80s it was the best find ever.

Return to Tween and Teenage Girl Lips Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to find lots of cute decorations that will coordinate with the lips couch and bedding.

The moon followed me home.

I was driving home last night after seeing Up with my friend Christopher (a movie review will be forthcoming) and hanging above the city was this enormous moon! It greeted me with the equivalent of a smack in the eye! It was so bright! It's hard to outshine the lights of Sin City, but this moon did it. It followed me all the way home and I kept my eye on it through the windshield, through my side window, and then through the rearview mirror. I didn't want it to go anywhere because I was determined to take its picture. Once I pulled into my garage at home I walked out onto the driveway and would you believe that moon sat up just perfectly between the tops of the houses across the street and the lowest branches of the tree in my front yard and I snapped this photo of it with my iPhone. I think it liked having its picture taken. It made sure to suck in its stomach and shine just a bit more brightly until I had my shot. I was kind of sad to leave it. I could have visited with this moon a little more, but it was quickly rising further and further away from me, although it lost none of its brightness. I knew I should let it get down to its moon business, so, satisfied with my picture, I thanked the moon for seeing me home safely and retreated into the house.

(clicky to make biggie)

A short reflection about Wilco (The Band) upon the release of their new Wilco (The Album)

Wilco (The Album)
I think that what Wilco is trying to say through their new album title is, "Hey this is us. This is what we are all about. Listen to this album and know you have heard Wilco." I must say I like that idea. I like Wilco. I like where they are as a band. They are rocking AND melodic, they are simple AND complex, they are jammy AND precise. To those critics out there complaining that Wilco have failed to build upon or evolve from the sound on their last album, Sky Blue Sky, I say, so what? I actually like that! It’s as if they have found the sound and working relationship that makes them the most comfortable and are going to enjoy it for awhile. They’ve done enough experimenting and evolving over the past fifteen years and rotated through enough band members that it’s time to revel in the fact that they’ve found a dynamic that clicks. Listening to this album makes me feel happy and bouncy, even though not every song on it is happy and bouncy. Some of it, like Bull Black Nova, is actually quite dark and scary. But in my heart it’s Wilco itself that makes me feel happy and bouncy. I’m just going to put the entire album on repeat for the next few weeks, and, as they proclaim in Wilco (The Song), let Wilco love me, baby!

BROWN and PINK TOILE BEDDING

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I wanted to start this article with the statement that brown and pink toile bedding sets of today are a far cry from the comforters and curtains that were once the staple of old homes and to say that they have been jazzed up which would be an understatement and that’s a fact. But then I made an interesting observation about decorating bedrooms with toile that took all the fun out of what would have been my opening line.

After looking through my stash of vintage home decorating magazines, I can’t help but notice one big difference in the way toile prints were used to decorate bedrooms is that apart from the rare bit of fabric seen pieced in a square of a patchwork quilt, toile bedspreads were not commonly used. At least I didn’t see any in the decorating books that I had on hand and after I gave it some thought I couldn’t recall any brown and pink toile bedding sets in either of my grandparent’s bedrooms or toile bedding of any kind for that matter. There were plenty of toile curtains and more than a few pieces of furniture with toile upholstery, my favorite being a pretty upholstered slipper chair in the bedroom, but no brown and pink toile bedding or comforters.

If memory serves me, the bedding that my great-grandmother preferred was chenille. And that stuff must have worn like iron because after she was gone, my mom used them for years. She washed them regularly and hung them on the clothesline where the sunlight could bleach them in the old fashioned, natural way. And it worked as they stayed snowy white until they became threadbare and she cut them up to use in her crafts projects.

Apparently my mom was pretty savvy as I see plenty of bedding collections that combine strips of chenille with other fabrics to give an otherwise uninteresting and flat comforter set added texture. In fact, a set of brown and pink toile bedding that caught my eye not only had borders of chenille, but strips of pink and brown polka dots and corners decorated with grosgrain ribbon both with polka dots and without. And what about those sassy pink and brown baby bedding sets for girls? If granny was here today, she might raise an eyebrow but somehow I think she’d approve of how we are decorating with toile today.

Return to Teenage Girls Brown and Pink Toile Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas

PINK ROXY BEDDING

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If you want a pink bedroom that your daughter will not think is too “baby” you need pink Roxy bedding. So many mothers have a hard time accepting that their daughter is growing up and wants a more mature style of bedroom décor. How many times have I had to offer a tissue for a customer to dry her tears as she spoke of how her teenage daughter outgrew her pretty, pink baby girl’s nursery that she had lovingly decorated for her too fast.

Thinking about how it’s going to hurt me when my last little chick leaves the nest makes me very sympathetic to this situation. But I also remember what it was like when I was a teenage girl wanting a cool bedroom that would make my friends green with envy only to have my mother want to preserve the decorations that I had had for years like she was turning it into some sort of outdated shrine.

I believe the answer to this bedroom decorating debacle is one of the cute, pink Roxy bedding sets. The great thing about a pink Roxy bedding set is that there is nothing babyish about it. Their designers know their way around this color and have one of the best approval ratings with teens and tweens of any company that I know of because of their ability to successfully sell bedding covered in hibiscus flowers just as well as comforters with hot pink and black polka dots!

The reason for the high level of acceptance is without a doubt due to their attention to detail in regards to what color schemes are popular as seen in the very well received brown and pink Roxy bedding and the Roxy tropical bedding sets. And it always seems that their fabrics coordinate well with pink wallpaper in the marketplace marketed towards this demographic.

So, the bottom line is that mom can dry her eyes because the right pink Roxy bedding that will let her have a few more years to enjoy her teenage girl surrounded not only with the love of her family, but with lots of what she perceives as the best color for a teenage girl’s room.

Return to Tween and Teenage Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas for more stylish ways to transition your little girl's bedroom.

Loretta Lynn is Divine

My mom has always been big into country music. I can remember as a kid listening to Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, The Oak Ridge Boys, Crystal Gale, Anne Murray, Johnny Cash and of course, Loretta Lynn. I’ve maintained an appreciation of country music as I’ve grown older and although there are a few modern artists I enjoy, I have a greater affinity for these classic country stars. So when I discovered Loretta Lynn would be playing at the “Dallas Events Center” at the Texas Station Hotel & Casino I immediately bought two tickets and invited my older sister to join me. There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to see an icon like Loretta!

I was quite surprised to find that the "Dallas Events Center" is in all actuality a convention area ballroom. It’s not a real theater or showroom, but the same ballroom where the company I work for has had our Christmas party and all-employee meetings! I really feel Las Vegas could have done better by Loretta (no offense to the Texas Station, of course!). My friend Kevin runs sound for the Texas and he came out to welcome my sister and me to the show and let us know that he had the pleasure of meeting Loretta backstage and she was as sweet as could be but was suffering from an upset stomach. Uh oh. The show started up and again to our surprise the first person to come out and sing was Loretta’s son, Ernest Ray Lynn. The whole evening was a family affair because after Ernest Ray sang a few songs, Loretta’s daughter Patsy Lynn came out and sang as well. She was named after Loretta’s dear friend Patsy Cline and she honored her namesake by singing Walking After Midnight. Finally Patsy introduced the reason why we were all there, Miss Loretta Lynn. Dressed in a gigantic turquoise beaded gown, she was as cute as a button and all smiles despite not feeling well. She was really honest about “feeling poorly” and asked us if we minded if she sat down. We of course chorused no and she quickly took a seat in a chair so that her voluminous skirts puffed out all around her. The woman is 74 years old and our show was the last night on a three week tour so it was easy to forgive her for being a little tired and under the weather. Her voice was unaffected as were her spirits.

She sang hit after hit: Hey Loretta, You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man), Honky Tonk Girl, Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind), Fist City (my favorite!!), Coal Miner’s Daughter, When the Tingle Becomes a Chill and others. In a stroke of genius she turned One’s On the Way (written by the fabulous Shel Silverstein!) and The Pill into a medley. So first she’s singing, "I'm glad that Raquel Welch just signed a million dollar pact, and Debbie's out in Vegas workin' up a brand new act, while the TV's showin' Newlyweds a real fun game to play, but here in Topeka the screen door's a bangin', the coffee's boilin' over and the wash needs a hangin', one wants a cookie and one wants a changin' and one's on the way" and then she went straight into "All these years I've stayed at home, while you had all your fun and every year that’s gone by, another baby’s come. There's a gonna be some changes made right here on nursery hill, you've set this chicken your last time 'Cause now I've got the pill! This old maternity dress I've got, is goin' in the garbage. The clothes I'm wearin' from now on won't take up so much yardage, miniskirts, hot pants and a few little fancy frills, yeah I'm makin' up for all those years since I've got the pill." It was played so seamlessly by the band that I didn't even notice until she had sang a few lines from The Pill that that was what she had done! It was so perfect and was probably my favorite part of the night!

I think people forget that for such a backwoods country girl Loretta really wrote some great feminist anthems! She was pretty radical for her day – especially in the conservative country music world. She's always been very sassy and straightforward about how she feels as a woman, as a wife of a husband that cheats, and as a mother. You can't help but love her for it.

At one point during the show she told us about how she started out, how she pestered DJs around Nashville to play her record. Then she said that the first DJ to put her record on the air was at the show tonight and she made him stand up and give a little bow. He was a tiny old man, wearing a bolo tie and fancy sport coat. The whole audience roared for him and Loretta beamed at him from the stage. She told lots of funny stories between songs about her family and recording career in that adorable, distinct, Kentucky twang she has. She had great rapport with her band too. They were all men including the backup singers and they were very obviously taking care of her onstage. When they could see her go through a spell where she felt a little worse, they would take over and sing a song on their own, or suggest a duet, so she could sing less.

Towards the end of her set she went all patriotic and religious on us and sang her anti-war ballad Dear Uncle Sam and some of her gospel songs which is where the night got a little weird for me. I’m not used to the audience at a country show. They got very vocal with their political and religious views in response to her stance. There was a lot of supportive cat calling to put prayer back in the schools and the Ten Commandments back on the court house lawns! WTF?? The other weird thing about the audience at such a small country show? They would walk right up to the stage and hand her flowers and gifts and take pictures of her! It was very distracting but my sister says it’s common with the country crowd.

There was a good number of young people in the crowd and I think that stems directly from when Jack White of The White Stripes produced Loretta’s 2004 album Van Lear Rose which won several Grammys. It is a spectacular album with many wonderfully personal songs encompassing her entire life: stories about her mother, her children, and the death of her husband. I was very disappointed that she didn’t perform any of the songs from that album and I imagine a lot of young people in the audience were disappointed too. Her set was very short due to her illness, but I wonder if she had played longer if she would have sang any of them? Maybe they are too personal for her to perform? In the end, it was lovely getting to see Loretta Lynn live despite the small disappointments of the overall experience. I hope she comes back through this way before she stops performing altogether.

I didn’t take any pictures during the show. I couldn’t bring myself to be like the others and just walk right up to the stage and snap a shot! It seemed rude to me! But I wanted to share some Loretta here, so I found some great youtube clips. I hope you will watch them!

Here she sing’s One’s On The Way on The Muppet Show (squeee!):



Here she performs my favorite Fist City (look at that hair!):



And here she is with Jack White doing their duet Portland, Oregon:

AQUA BLUE and BROWN BEDDING SETS

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I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again; aqua blue and brown bedding sets are a blessing to long suffering decorators looking for the best combination of earthy and cool, peaceful colors.

It would be impossible for me to say how many times the fabric that I recommended to a client was rejected because it was too busy or chaotic for the restful atmosphere that is desirable for an adult’s bedroom. But traditional decorating ideas and bedding sets for a teenage girl’s bedroom can take a step outside these boundaries and often be more acceptable for doing so.

Such is the case with an aqua and blue comforter set that falls into a bohemian style rather than, say an beach theme aqua bedding set. This is where shades of blue and earth tones get wild and funky and bored decorators (such as yours truly) get to have a little fun and enjoy seeing the appeal of a boho bedroom through the eyes of a teen girl who would rather die than having an average, run of the mill room.

So, how do we get the results that will appeal to both mother and daughter while operating within the color restrictions that the former laid out for us? For starters, I go shopping for an icy aqua blue and brown bedding set that is as far from anything that a grownup would want as possible. Gathering material for a layout of chocolate brown and blue fabrics covered with paisley, circles, dots and geometric prints to be sewn together in a patchwork quilt is one way to do it. Another is to broaden the range of colors to include some unusual accents in salmon pink and a few pops of white to break things up and draw attention to the bedding set. The rule of thumb for a bohemian bedroom with aqua blue and brown bedding sets or any color whatsoever is to expect the unexpected; in fact the more unique and unusual the better for this theme. But in my case, I have to run all decisions regarding decorations and fabric selection by mom as teens and preteens don’t have a good track record for considering the flow of the home’s decor when decorating their bedrooms.

Return to Teenage Girls Aqua Blue and Brown Bedding Sets and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to find more tips for decorating a bohemian style bedroom in various color schemes.

From Blip.fm - Cyndi Lauper

In honor of tonight's screening! It's Cyndi with The Goonies R Good Enough! Sloth love Chunk! ♫ http://blip.fm/~9781r