June Newsletter - 06.01.06. BlindsOnSale.com

Shortcut to Success

	Container gardening is all the rage today. It’s estimated that 90 percent of all gardeners in the United States grow plants in containers. They’re fun and colorful and allow you to have the joy and rewards of gardening no matter how much room you have or where you live. Potted plants also are a great alternative in areas where there is too much shade or sun, a difficult climate, or no garden space at all. Plus, they can set a style, create a mood, express your personality, or create focal points of interest.	But have you ever asked yourself why your containers don’t look like those on display at your local retail stores and nurseries? Well with a few design improvements and proper care, they can! To fashion terrific-looking designs in your containers, you need to go a step further than simply potting a plant. Here are five basic steps to get results!
You too can plant professional-looking container gardens with the right recipe.
Step 1: Location and growing conditions The most important thing to consider is where the container will be located and how much sun or shade the plants will receive. Mixing together shade-loving and sun-loving plants gives you unhappy plants that will be unable to flourish. Always double check the recommended growing requirements. Step 2: Selecting the right planter or Container Containers are more than the holding device for your plants.		They can by creative, stylish, formal, eye-catching, or traditional. With a little imagination, practically anything can be fashioned into a container that can hold soil. However, make sure that whatever you choose has drain holes. Next consider the containers size. Planters look best when they appear full of plants, so that when you look at the planter you see about twice as much plants as container. Make sure, though, to provide enough room in the container for their root systems. Healthy plants require a container large enough to contain three months’ worth of root mass.
Visit www.fernlea.com for exact container gardening recipes!
Step 3: Use the right soil Your plants need a lightweight growing medium that retains moisture, air, and fertilizer while providing fast drainage. Most container-grown plants are happiest in a soil-less mixture of ground sphagnum peat, perlite, vermiculite, and organic compost. Step 4: Feed and water your plants Watering and fertilizing is critical for container-gardening success. Potted plants dry out quickly!	To keep them hydrated throughout the hot summer season, water your plants early in the morning each day. Watering in the evening is not recommended. Step 5: Designing Your Container Professionals use a combination of colors, textures, and leaf shapes to design their containers. Start with a centerpiece plant that is taller and more upright. Around this plant two to four medium-height plants. Finally use three to six trailing or cascading forms. Viola!

Designer Tips and Trade Secrets-All about Draperies

Not so long ago, if you asked someone where they worked at home, they’d probably show you the kitchen table. For someone who is serious about getting work done at home-whether they’re self employed, run a home-based business, or telecommute from a salaried job- the kitchen table isn’t enough. Productive work at home needs the right space. Making that workspace functional and fun involves a few design choices.

We’ll look at four steps in designing the home office: discovering how people work, finding the right location, creating a healthy work environment, and developing a personal workspace. Then we’ll turn to the importance of light, lighting, and window treatments in designing an effective office.


Step 1: Discover How People Work Are you a telecommuter who needs to be in close touch with the office, and compatible with its technology? Are you a freelancer, working independently from the office? Or are you a stay at home parent who needs to combine work and family? You must learn in detail what it is you will need the space for and subsequently how you will use the space. A person’s job actually influences the design. There is an acronym that tells us how to arrange our office design.	It is CAMP, for Computer, Administrative, Meeting, and Project. Almost everyone uses a computer, but people use them differently. A graphics designer might need a big monitor, a salesperson might prefer a laptop, and a software developer might need two computers. Most people need an area for administrative tasks such as opening mail, paying bills, or preparing things for mailing. The needs for a “meeting” station depend on where meetings take place. Many people who work at home meet elsewhere.	The last station is for projects, work that needs its own special space. An illustrator who draws by hand would need a table. Step 2: Find the Right Location Even in a small house, there are lots of options for a(n) home office. The most obvious room is the spare room or guest room. Also in many homes the living room or dining room are underutilized. It’s possible to tuck an office in one of these rooms and put it away at the end of the day.	Step 3: Create a Healthy Environment When you work at a home office, it is your responsibility to prevent stress injury, eyestrain, and back problems. A few design elements can help you with that. Things such as ergonomic keyboards, wrist supports and lumbar cushions work great in helping keep a healthy environment. Step 4: Develop Personal Space Put in accessories that are you. Personal art or keepsakes make this your space.

Berry Good Dessert

This month we are including a great springtime recipe in our newsletter, Lemon Bars with Blueberries! Yum!
Crust: 3 cups flour 2/3 cup powdered sugar 3/4 pound plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes and chilled	Filling: 4 eggs, lightly beaten grated zest and juice of 3 lemons 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 2/3 cup fresh blueberries 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan. Mix flour and sugar in bowl of food processor. Pulse 2-3 times to blend. Add butter and pulse until it resembles cornmeal and begins to stick together. Remove and form into a ball. Flatten with lightly floured hands and press evenly into the bottom and ¼” up sides of pan. Dough will be about ¼” thick. Bake 12-15 minutes, until light brown, but not quite done. Remove from oven to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon zest, and juice until smooth and well blended. Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Stir until well blended. Pour filling on top of crust. If using blueberries, sprinkle evenly over filling. They will sink slightly. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and cool for several hours before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar.

News You Can Use-Current Sales and Promotions

-Comfortex and Hunter Douglas are raising prices starting July 1st and June 1st respectively. This will be a 5 to 10% increase depending on the product.

-Comfortex Shangri-La is $5.00 off, Harmony Cellular vertical is $5.00 off, and Woodwinds Composite wood blinds are $5.00 off per shade. This sale will last until July 1st when the Comfortex price increase takes effect.

-Hunter Douglas Countrywoods are $3.00 off per blind starting May 12th and running through July 30th. Don’t miss this sale. Hunter Douglas price increase is June 1st. We will still have the sale but the price will go up!

Shutters: High-Style Colors and Finishes

Shutters have been with us a long, long time. The original versions, traceable to ancient Greece and medieval Europe, were external in nature and served a variety of purposes. Closed, they shed rain, offered protection from the hot sun, kept insects out, and when crossed with an iron bar, provided security. Open, they provided light and air ventilation, as well as a view of the outside world. It is thought that the first shutters in Greece were constructed of marble.	As their popularity spread throughout the Mediterranean, wood replaced marble as a more suitable construction material and stationary louvers became moveable. As the Spanish colonized the Americas, they brought shutters with them. Southern mansions were adorned with them, and hence, plantation shutters were born. Although outdoor shutters are still common throughout Europe, shutters have long since become a staple indoor treatment. In short, shutters have moved in and up.	And as they’ve moved indoors, the colors and finishes have become increasingly sophisticated and varied. Today, shutter styles and sales are hot. Fanciful stains for natural woods, high-sheen finishes, and fabric inserts complement a fresh palette of colors that range from soothing to eye-popping. An array of composition options allows consumers to choose the product best suited to their needs and tastes. Want vinyl shutters that look like wood?
“Today shutter styles and sales are hot….rang{ing} from soothing to eye popping!”
No problem. Need energy efficiency? You got it. Prefer real-wood craftsmanship to high-tech composites? Coming right up. East, west, north, and south, the clean look and functional aspects of shutters make them a popular choice with today’s fussy, educated, and sophisticated consumers. A timeless and traditional window treatment, products on the market today merge the best of the original with the latest in technological advances and beautiful streamlined design.	Today’s shutters feature a dizzying array of design options: louvers of varying widths, hidden or non-existent tilt bars, designs that fit into arches, hexagons, and curved walls, scratch proof finishes, and composites guaranteed not to warp or split. Designed to blend with any décor from elegant to casual, shutters add a classy, cozy, and rich feel to any room. Custom-sized to fit the exact specifications of each window, shutters fit the window like a glove, ensuring smooth and quiet operation.	Maintaining the view, energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance are hot selling points for shutters. If it’s a view you’re after, shutters, with the ability to swing completely open fit the bill. As louvers get wider and wider-look for 5 inch and 6 inch louvers to hit the market soon- it is also possible to enjoy the view by simply opening the louvers. For hot or cold weather climates, shutters offer reasonable energy efficiency, with vinyl shutters outperforming their wood counterparts.	That’s because vinyl traps air within the louver which gives the shutter more insulating value. The hard, smooth surface makes cleaning a breeze. Unlike fabric treatments, which can trap and hold dust, bugs, and other debris, making them difficult to clean, shutters wipe clean with a damp rag.

BlindsOnSale’s Woven Treasures

Product Highlight Made from select natural woods, including reeds, bamboos and grasses, woven wood shades are uniquely textured, adding casual good looks to any room.	When lowered, these woven wood shades lie flat; when raised, the woven woods hang in even, overlapping folds. Inspired by cultures around the world, blinds, shades and Woven Wood Shades encompass any decorating style-from sophisticated and contemporary to casual and relaxed. Let them transport you to another time and place. Imagine the warm ocean breezes and pungent aromas of tropical flowers.

The calming influence of these unique natural materials-rattans and bamboos, grasses and reeds-create a haven when you want to get away from it all without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Woven Wood Shades give you a variety of options to express your personal style, including valances, decorative trims and finishes, privacy liner and the Top Down/Bottom Up option.		Up option. BlindsonSale’s Natural Woven Treasures make quite a statement in any room of your home. Imagine a rustic style kitchen, a regal living room, or a contemporary dining room. Its easyt o compliment your personality and living quarters by selecting a Woven Treasure natural wood shade. Enjoy them as they hang flat in the lowered position and love

the inviting look of the overlapped folds when raised. As with all our shades you will enjoy smooth and easy operation with our cord lock and pulley system. From specialty angle-top shades flat from waterfall options, these shades let your windows hang on to their natural beauty. You can even choose a coordinating valance and place it in the front or back.		Its up to you, the range and versatility of these shades is amazing. Buy one today and see why woven woods are the fastest growing window covering treatment today. After all, Mother Nature’s thought of everything so you don’t have to.

Credits

BlindsOnSale.com thanks, Hunter Douglas, Comfortex, Graber, and Better Homes and Gardens.

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About Our Organization

You will enjoy shopping here because, BlindsOnSale.com is a family owned and operated business based in Oklahoma City. We have been in the blind industry for over thirty years, and work with some of the top designers and name brands. We back every product with a limited warranty and guarantee the quality of our products.

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