It’s twins! For the first year ever Pantone named not one, but TWO colors of the year for 2016. The shades were chosen to convey a rosy warmth and tranquility for the new year, also playing a nod to societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity,” as the company said in a statement. The “baby” blue and pink colors may remind you of the walls of a nursery but Pantone says that the open exchange of information online “has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage.” And that “Rose quartz is not baby pink,” says Leatrice Eiseman who, as executive director of Pantone’s Color Institute, oversees the company’s annual choice of Color of the Year, agrees that “It doesn’t have that wimpy feel.”

Or use Serenity and paint your ceiling to give your room a more elegant and framed look.

 Play with gender roles  Explore the balance between the masculine and feminine sides of both the colors. Using the furniture and design of your room to counter balance out the color. Also play with the idea of adding a complementary color that gives more of a balance to the room.

Use pops of the color 

Use the colors of the year sporadically throughout your home if you already have a fairly neutral color palate.

Use objects like lamps, frames, throw pillows, and other small various objects to create a sense of flow throughout your space that doesn’t over whelm your house with color.

Sources:

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/pantone-color-of-the-year-2016

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/pantone-color-of-the-year-2016-decorating-ideas

http://www.wsj.com/articles/its-a-pink-and-a-blue-1449083326

http://www.coastalliving.com/how-decorate-pantone-colors-year-2016-rose-quartz-serenity-pink-blue/view-all

At Loose Petals, we're always working to expand our collection of travel art and cities.
So we're excited to announce we have new prints on the way! Visit www.loosepetals.com for
‪#‎Monaco‬ ‪#‎Santacruz‬ ‪#‎Salzburg‬ #‎Tallinn‬ ‪#‎Helsinki‬ ‪#‎PuertaVallerta #Curacao #Bermu #Milan #Keywest #Cozumel #StMartin #StLucia #StThomas #Syracuse #Jamaica #SantaMonica #PuertoRico #Bruges #NewHampshire #Krakow.

Picture Hanging Hooks:

• Use picture hanging hooks instead of nails. Although nails may seem sturdier because they are heavier, the hooks go in the wall at an angle and are much more secure for picture hanging.

• Picture hangers are specifically made for hollow walls making it easier on any surface that is too weak to hold a nail or a screw.

• Buy the right type of hook for your arts weight.

• One-nail picture hook: holds 30 pounds or lighter

• Two-nail picture hook: holds around 50 pounds

• Three-nail picture hook: holds between 75 - 100 pounds

• Use two hooks per artwork to provide security and help the art remain level.

Type of Wall:

Plaster & Drywall:

• When dealing with drywall or plaster it is best to have a stud finder. This will help you find the wall studs in your wall and allow you to hang the artwork from the most secure spots to avoid wall damage. Wall studs are the wooden framings behind your wall; knowing where they are will stop you from hanging art in an unsteady section of your wall. You can buy electronic stud finders that beep or flash when identifying a spot containing wall studs. Prices range from $20 to $40 and can be found in most hardware stores.
• When hanging on plaster wall use a piece of scotch tape where you will hammer in the hook to prevent the plaster from crumbling.

Wood & Paneling:

• When dealing with wood or panel use wood screws. Wood screws are easy to install with a screw driver and stay in wood/paneling very strongly.
• If you are hanging something lightweight use adhesive strips and hooks to avoid any wall damage. Part is attached to the wall and the other part is attached to the picture. Line these two parts up and simply press the picture in place. If you want to take down the picture just pull the adhesive strips off the wall. Be careful though, for these strips hold a maximum weight of only eight pounds.
• When dealing with a heavier art piece use anchors that spread out behind the wall after inserting the screw.
• Installing nail or screw holes into the grooves of paneling make it harder to see them when they are removed.  

Being voted Europe's fourth most popular city break destination, behind London,    Paris and Rome, Dublin Ireland is Europe’s new hot spot! Dublin's elegant Georgian architecture makes it one of Europe's most attractive capitals and is one of the friendliest capital cities in the world. The easily accessible city is small (and safe!) enough for tourist to meander throughout the cities sprawling, winding roads. Many guest find himself or herself exploring the nations treasures in galleries and museums within the city center. Dublin’s cultural center has truly grown within the past year. Dublin's entertainments are legendary, from the boozy delights of the Guinness Storehouse and Temple Bar to more cultured nights at the theater or dining in one of the city's fine eateries including five 'one Michelin star' restaurants and one two star eatery. It's no surprise that people from all over the world come to enjoy the "craic" in Dublin.For tips on what to do in Dublin, head to their national page which has friendly customized set up for the wanderlust traveler to find their way though. (http://www.visitdublin.com/home/) In honor of the city Loose Petals is offering $5.00 off any any non sale city print size organic 8 x 10 or larger for the month of March, 2016! Use code 5OFF at check out.

Sources:

http://www.discoveringireland.com/dublin-city/

http://acmphoto.photoshelter.com/image/I0000bZNiHYsKHFE

What better way to decorate your walls with photos of memories with loved family and friends? Galleries like these really help turn a house into a home. One of the most common ways to display collections of photos and pictures is a home wall photo gallery. Here are some tricks to transform your gallery into a stunning masterpiece that will last for years to come:

• Find a large quantity of match frames (or paint some frames so that they match), print your photos in black & white, then hang the framed photos in a grid.
• Print your family photos on canvas for an extra special touch. Canvases don’t even need frames–hang the pictures as is! Perhaps print several pictures on different sizes of canvas and then hang them in a cluster.
• A unique touch is keeping all of the photos black and white, but the changing the frame styles. Hanging the photos with twine is a nice touch, and the layering gives your gallery an extra oomph.
• You can format your pictures into a grid before printing. Then you could either print on large photo paper and frame it, or you could print on canvas. Beautiful!
• This idea is super fun: All you need to do is string some twine across a wall and then hang your favorite pictures using clothespins. I love the vintage feel of this idea.
• Making a beautiful gallery wall is a perfect idea to spice up a hallway and add color. Using color photos will really help your collage stand out against a black framed background.

Innsbruck, Austria is known as the ski and snowboard capital of the world. As  the two-time host of The Winter Olympics and covered in internationally recognized alpine resorts, Innsbruck does not disappoint winter lovers. In addition to tearing up the slopes, visitors can tour the famous Olympic ski jump and other facilities. Innsbruck was also a seat of power for centuries and history buffs love visiting the royal Habsburg home and soaking up the city's beautiful architecture. Furthermore, Innsbruck is the home of Swarovski Crystals, and no visit to this city is complete wthout a tour of their bizarre, beautiful headquarters.

Source: Rebecca Murphy,10 European Cities to Visit During the Winter, The Abroad Guide.

Whether they are in a foyer, your family room, or even a bedroom, the soaring ceiling that come with tall walls look fantastic and create such an open, airy feeling to your home, but when it comes to decorating the adjacent walls, most people are left scratching their heads. Thankfully, we found some tips on what to and not to do when decorating those walls that go on forever.

• Use large scale art -- Gallery walls and oversized art are probably the most common solution to fill up those tall walls. A large grouping of art or photographs are a great way to fill up the space.
• Add trim -- Adding trim to your wall is also a great way to break-up the vastness of those soaring, double height walls often found in Foyers and great rooms.
• Use color and texture -- Here, panels of trim are filled with grasscloth. Printed wallpaper would also look great and create the feel of an art piece.
• Hang a mirror -- Mirrors are a great alternative to hanging art. Try a large oversized mirror, or a grouping of smaller mirrors.
• Install shelving -- If you are a book lover, consider adding some custom library shelves and make that open space functional.
• Distract -- And lastly, a great way to sole the big empty wall syndrome is to distract the eye AWAY from the wall by adding dramatic floor to ceiling curtains, or an oversized light fixture.

Source: Sarah Langtry, Bloglovin',

For the month of November 2015 all Copenhagen prints are $5.00 off.  Enter 5OFF at checkout.  The home of Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen, Denmark is one of the most fairytale-like cities in Europe, especially with freshly fallen snow blanketed over the town. The Danish concept of "hygge" (or "coziness") is at its peak during the wintertime when locals spend their afternoons and evenings relaxing, drinking hot chocolate, and enjoying the beauty around them. Some of the top sights in Copenhagen include Tivoli Amusement Park, Christiansburg Slot, and Rosenborg Castle, which are all even more charming covered in snow. Don't miss out on Copenhagen's winter culture month, Wondercool, either. Wondercool occurs in February and includes concerts in unusual venues, art shows, and culinary events.  

Make your bed even harder to get out of in the morning with these little tricks we found:

1. Hang string lights above your bed to create a magical look.
2. Dress your bed in a giant sweater with a cable-knit blanket.
3. Get a real down comforter.
4. Skip the top sheet and put a nice, washable duvet cover on your comforter.
5. Throw down an extra fuzzy bedside rug to make things easier for your feet in the morning.
6. A plushy, faux-fur throw on top of your bed covers will add Hollywood glam to your all-day Netflix sessions.
7. Tuck your covers in neatly.
8. Make your bed every day.
9. Add pillows!
10. With basic sewing skills, transform a new bath mat or accent rug into a cuddly throw pillow cover.
11. Invest in a bedside lamp so you don't have to get up to turn off the overhead light.
12. Save money on a fancy, tufted headboard by creating your own.
13. Try linen sheets instead of cotton. They aren't cheap, but they get better and softer the more you sleep in them and last you for years.
14. DIY a cozy canopy by hanging fabric from the ceiling. Option 1 for creating this canopy is to buy wooden dowels for just a few cents at a craft store and attach them to the ceilings with hooks or thumbtacks. Option 2 is to rig up two short curtain rods on either side of the bed. Both options are very affordable and add an elegant look to any bedroom.
15. Add a foam or feather pillow-top pad to your mattress to make it softer.
16. If your bed is in a nook or a particularly small room, turn it into a ship-shape hideaway with some curtains.
17. Find someone furry to share a bed with. Puppies and kittens are the solution to almost any problem.

Source: Rachel Sanders, Buzzfeed.

Wall galleries look simple, but they are not an easy task. We found an article that breaks the process up into steps that will result in a beautiful, slightly offbeat but still balanced wall full of photos and prints that mean the most to you.

1. Selecting photos and frames -- Choose a theme and/or a common color palette as a guiding force in your selection process. Remember that displaying simpler images in large scale and more detailed/complex images in small scale results in a more pleasing, less cluttered layout.

2. Designing the layout -- Remember that achieving the asymmetrical-but-balanced look is easier said than done, and it will take a lot of patience.

3. Defining the dimensions -- Start by placing tape on the wall to define the outer boundaries of the photo area so that you can design an arrangement that works well within the available dimensions of the wall.

4. Arranging and re-arranging -- Place all of your framed photos on the floor in the same relative dimensions as the outer boundaries and then experiment (over and over again) with different layouts. It is even okay to eliminate a couple of photos and add some new ones. Give yourself time to get used to the layout before attaching it on the wall to make sure that you really like it.

5. Documenting the layout -- Once you have an arrangement that you are set on, document the overall layout by taking a panoramic photo on your phone (which is easy to do with the iPhone camera app.) Take detailed shots of smaller sets of groupings. The panoramic image allows you to remember the layout of the photos, while the details hots allow you to see the specific alignment of the one image to its neighboring image. To maintain a sense of order, pay close attention to the alignment of the frames and the spacing between them. Different sized frames cannot be consistently aligned or have consistent spacing throughout the overall layout, so work in small groupings and make mini arrangements of consistent alignment and spacing. Remember to have fun with it!

6. Installing on the wall -- When you are ready to transition the photos to the wall, start in the center of the collage, where the largest images are, and work your way out from there. Use the detail photos on your phone to ensure that the alignment of the frames and the general spacing between them are matched up. 3M picture hanging strips are useful for most of the installing process, except for particularly large frames. These will help you hold a picture in the approximate position while using a tape measure to ensure the correct distance from the neighboring frame to make sure it is straight. Press the frame to the wall when it is ready.

7. Remember that this is not the easiest nor the fastest process, but it is something that you will be sure to enjoy for many years to come. Put in a little patience with your work, and it will be worth it.

Source: Julee, warmhotchocolate.com.