Monthly Archives: May 2010

Whether you’re looking for a place to sneak off to so you can take a breather from your hectic day or noisy kids,  or you want a way cool love nest to make an impression on the ladies, here are some impressive ways to enhance your bedroom.

Wall Decorations – Personalise your bedroom with some DNA art, as shown in 20 Cool Wall Decorations to Impress Your Friends.

Local Art –  Enhance your bedroom with awesomeness created by local artists. Need inspiration? Check out 5 Talented Moncton Artists to Keep an Eye On for suggestion on some … well … talented Moncton artists. 

Photographs – If you own a digital camera (which I’m sure you do), there is no reason why you can’t produce some amazing photos worthy of being hung on your bedroom wall or displayed on a nightstand. Touch up on your photography skills, do a little photo editing to enhance your images, and then print them yourself or have them professionally done. There is an abundance of free information online that will teach you how to capture spectacular photos and, if you’re on a budget, there is also plenty of free photo editing software programs you can use.

Add Some Colour – If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to enhance your bedroom, consider painting the walls or existing furniture. That awful dresser cabinet you’re ready to chop up and use as firewood could look brand new and amazing with a couple coats of fresh paint.

Be Bold In The Right Places – Another way to enhance your bedroom while staying on a budget is to use neutral colours on the walls and large furniture, and then use bold colours in your bed linen or throw pillows. It’s a lot more affordable – and convenient – to purchase several different coloured or themed sheets and pillows which you can swap out for different ones when you want a new look than it is to change the colour of paint every month or buy new furniture when you feel like something new.

This is especially good for kids’ bedrooms – rather than going full out on a Twilight theme or a room full of horses, Hot Wheels, or Pokémon, using neutral tones and themed sheets, comforters, and pillows is a lot more cost effective when you know your child will be trading in their love for vampires for the latest trend before the paint even sets.

Unique Headboards – Get creative and consider making your own headboard, like the one shown in Home Decorating Tips by Martha Stewart.

Follow Martha’s Advice – Speaking of the decorating queen, Martha Stewart has some fantastic ideas when it comes to enhancing and decorating bedrooms. From how to make your own custom curtains to tips on using colour and ideas on how to display photos, Martha’s got your back.

Mirrors – Mirrors are not only useful, they can also be quite decorative and provide an easy way to enhance a bedroom. Mirrors come in all shapes and sizes and can also help make a small room feel larger than it really is.

Lighting – Enhance your bedroom with various different types of lighting. A bedroom should have practical lighting for reading and other activities which require a decent amount of light but also some softer lighting ideal for relaxing. Recessed lighting, ceiling fixtures, wall sconces, bedside table lamps, and even candles are all options worth looking into.

Are You Proud of Your Nest?

When people come to visit, do you quickly run to shut your bedroom door, or are you happy for guests to see your bedroom? What bedroom enhancements or decorating tips do you have? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Looking for some interesting facts about New Brunswick, Canada? Did you know that sardine cans and snow blowers were invented in New Brunswick? From a place where cars roll uphill and rivers flow backwards, here are some New Brunswick facts worth knowing.

New Brunswick Fact #1: New Brunswick is home to the warmest saltwater beaches north of Virginia. Check out Top 7 Beaches to Visit in New Brunswick to discover some of New Brunswick’s best beaches. 

New Brunswick Fact #2: New Brunswick has the world’s largest lobster. The sculpture – sorry folks, this sucker never cruised the waters! – is 11 meters long (35 feet), 5 meters tall (16 feet) and weighs in at an astonishing 90 tonnes or about 198,416 pounds! You’ll find the lobster in Shediac, NB, aptly dubbed “The Lobster Capital of The World.”

New Brunswick Fact #3: McCain Foods Limited , the multi-billion dollar company famous for its frozen French fries, is Canadian born. The McCain brothers’ first French fry plant was created in 1957 in their hometown of Florenceville, New Brunswick.

New Brunswick Fact #4: The largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, and the second largest in the world (the Maelstrom Whirlpool of Norway holds the title of the world’s largest whirlpool) can be found between Deer Island and Indian Island, New Brunswick and can be viewed from Eastport, Maine. The whirlpool is called “Old Sow” because of the sounds it produces.  According to BayofFundy.com, “Old Sow is reported to be most active about 3 hours before high tide. This activity continues for about two hours and takes the form of a collection of small gyres, troughs, spouts and holes and on the rare occasion will form one large funnel. This area, which has been reported to be as wide as 76 meters (250 feet) in diameter, can best be described as turbulent water. However, during spring tides (high water tide caused by a full or new moon) combined with high winds or a tidal surge will increase Old Sow’s activity causing more intense funnels and formations.”

New Brunswick Fact #5: The first Miss Canada, Winnifred Blair, was from Saint John, New Brunswick. She was crowned on February.10, 1923.

New Brunswick Fact #6: Where are the highest tides in the world? The Bay of Fundy, of course! Tourism New Brunswick say, “They rise at a rate of one metre (3.3 feet) per hour. The tides yield many edible treasures, among them mineral-rich sea salt and “dulse” – dried seaweed, which can be eaten as a snack or used to flavor soups and stews.”

Footnote: The writer in me can’t help but wonder why the Canadian tourism website spells the word flavour the American way. Humph.

New Brunswick Fact #7: Due to the Bay of Fundy’s incredible tides, the Saint John River flows backwards twice a day, every day. According to GreatCanadianRivers.com, “Then, a startling phenomenon occurs. The water level in the Bay of Fundy continues to rise above the level of the river. The force of the incoming tide overpowers the current of the outgoing river, and the water of the Saint John begins to flow upstream – completely in reverse. New rapids form in the river, flowing in the other direction, and the effect of the tide is felt as far upriver as the city of Fredericton, almost 120 kilometres northwest of Saint John.”

New Brunswick Fact #8: The longest covered bridge in the world can be found in Hartland, New Brunswick. The covered bridge is 390 meters (1282 feet) long.

New Brunswick Fact #9: The oldest Canadian museum is found in Saint John, New Brunswick. “Although many people are aware that Saint John, New Brunswick, is Canada’s oldest incorporated city, few are aware that it houses Canada’s oldest continuing museum. The New Brunswick Museum was officially incorporated as the “Provincial Museum” in 1929 and received its current name in 1930. Its history, however, can be traced back another 87 years to 1842, when Gesner’s Museum of Natural History opened to the public in Saint John.” says the New Brunswick Museum website.

New Brunswick Fact #10: Moncton, New Brunswick is home to Magnetic Hill. Objects seemingly roll uphill on Magnetic Hill. Put your car in neutral and, like magic, your car will roll uphill all on its own! Check it out here.

Inventions from New Brunswick: Some great inventions that have come from New Brunswick include (Source: Tourism New Brunswick):

• Scuba tank, James Elliot and Alexander McAvity, Saint John, 1839.

• Compound steam engine, Benjamin F. Tibbets, Fredericton, 1845.

• Snow blower, Robert Carr Harris, Dalhousie, 1870.

• Sardine cans, Henry T. Austin, Black’s Harbour, 1932.

• Clothes washer with roller wringer, John E. Turnbull, Saint John, 1843.

• Combined hot and cold water faucets, Thomas Campbell, Saint John, 1880.

• Crossword game, Edward R. MacDonald, Shediac, 1926.

• Dump-box for trucks, Robert T. Mawhinney, Saint John, 1920.

• Ganong Brothers Ltd., St. Stephen, are the first in Canada to produce lollipops (1895), to use cellophane packaging (1920), to make peppermint rolls (1926), and to sell Valentine candy in heart-shaped boxes (1932).

More New Brunswick facts…

Do you know some facts about New Brunswick worth sharing? Perhaps you know, for a fact, that some of the world’s best artists come from New Brunswick or that New Brunswickers are the best at cramming the most crap in their car as possible. Don’t be shy, leave a comment to let us know your New Brunswick facts!

Last week we looked at 20 cool wall decorations to impress your friends but didn’t *gasp* include any local Moncton artists! Shame on us! To make up for it, here’s a look at a few local artists from right here in Moncton that have some really impressive, super creative, exceptionally talented work and are definitely worth checking out now and before you decorate your home.

Click on the artist’s name to visit their website (a new window will open). The descriptions of the artists have been taken from their website and the photos shown below artist’s name/description are also from the artist’s website.

Matt LeBlanc – “Matt LeBlanc creates modern, abstract paintings in a variety of shapes and sizes. His art fuses design, rich texture, colour, and proportion to complement each client’s decor.”

There’s one service Matt offers that’s pretty unique which I think a lot of parents would also find most excellent – he’ll get your kids involved in creating a work of art that matches your home decor: “Here’s a great way to decorate your home by letting your children be creative. This is a special project for my local clients. I offer a personalized consultation in your home to determine the size, the colours, and the best place to put your child’s first masterpiece. I will then add a background colour on a large canvas that will match your current décor, and then let your child add his or her own creative touch to it. This way, you have the ability to showcase your child’s creativity and still have it as part of your home decor.”

Cecil D. Long – “Although Cecil’s work can be found in collectors homes worldwide, they can also be found locally at car dealerships, downtown restaurants and at The Greater Moncton International Airport, which showcases two 1 cubic ton sculptures.”

Marc Little – “Marc Little is a published artist with many of his paintings distributed across the country. Marc receives oil portrait commissions year round, both private and official corporate works.”

Mario Doucette – “Mario Doucette is a Moncton, New Brunswick artist of Acadian descent. He is a painter who also works in video, digital animation, performance, and Super-8 filmmaking.”

Pascal Leo Cormier – “Born in a small village north of New-Brunswick Canada during a November snow storm. Porcelain Clown Heart.”

We, unfortunately, couldn’t list every talented local artist who resides in Moncton. Did we miss someone who is totally worth a mention? Let us know by commenting below and don’t forget to let us know why the local artist is someone who deserves attention!

Sure, framed family photos can look good hanging on your wall, but how unoriginal is that? If you want to really impress your friends with some cool wall decorations, check these out!

(Note that clicking on the image will bring you to the source)

Wall Decorations for the Living Room

Not sure how the following will impress, it’s just cool is all. Nice moosh-tash meester!

Who wouldn’t love to have a giant tulip in their living room?

The next one uses your own lip prints!

Wall Decorations for the Kitchen

Oink…

Hmm. Not sure if this next one is my style, though it is a cool concept. What do you think?

Brilliant…

Wall Decorations for the Bathroom

Okay, so this next one might not have been designed for the bathroom, but don’t you think it would look fantastic hanging above your toilet?

3D dragonflies. Gotta’ love ’em.

Wall Decorations for the Bedroom

Mirror stickers are great for those who love shiny things.

Like the lips shown above, these next two wall decorations are created using your very own DNA. Now that’s one-of-a-kind art that will surely impress your friends!

Wall Decorations for the Kids Room

Awww…

…and for those who aren’t into the cutesy-wootsey wall decorations:

This next one doubles as a chalkboard. How cool is that?

These shelves look way better than standard shelves and would look good in any room:

Peek-a-boo! Brings a whole new meaning to the monster in the closet, doesn’t it?

This next one was found on a website called newhouseofart.com. Is it just me, or should they have thought of a better name for their website address? Sometimes it’s difficult to determine where the break in words should be, no? New House O’ Fart has some great wall decor (it doesn’t stink, I swear)…

The next one speaks for itself.

Wall Decorations for Elsewhere

Not sure what room this could go in, but if you can make it work…

The swords in the next one double as letter openers. Who doesn’t love it when they find a human skull that is also practical?

Which of these is your favourite wall decoration? Could you see yourself using any of these in your house?