Hey, I'm Chira Ruiz,! I'm the Founder and Creator of T.C.P.P.S. Network. Welcome to "Writer's Within" where we talk about topics such as: About our Network, Paranormal Stuff, Recipes, Personal Writing, and more! So, Enjoy! For more information, please visit us at: https://www.facebook.com/TheChiraProject/
It’s a problem most young women face at some point in their lives: Being forced to cram our lives into small spaces. From bedrooms that are barely big enough to fit a bed, to living rooms that have to accommodate a dining area, a home office, and a TV, fitting everything you need into a small space definitely isn't an easy task. That said, there are plenty of easy solutions which will help make your small space look more inviting, increasingly multi-functional, and utterly chic, all at the same time.
Here, our 25 favorite tips for making a small room look bigger.
1. When adding drapes to a room, make sure they’re the same color as your walls. Sticking to the same color will make your space look bigger. Another trick is to go with sheer drapes.
2. Take advantage of natural light as much as you can, which will open up your space.
3. Opt for sofas and armchairs that are raised on legs, which creates a sense of light and space.
4. De-clutter relentlessly if you live in a small space. If you haven’t used something in a year—or wouldn't buy it now—get rid of it.
5. Think in a color palette that’s light and neutral, which will expand your space visually.
6. Go for fabrics and rugs in small prints or plain colors. Unified colors will visually expand a small room.
7. Buy multi-functional furniture, such as ottomans, which can be used as both a coffee table, and extra seating, all at once.
8. Include mirrors in your space! The reflection will make a room look bigger.
9. There’s an old rule that small furniture in a small space is the way to go, but a few larger pieces of furniture in a small room will often make it look bigger.
10. Consider adding floor-to-ceiling or wall-to-wall bookcases. This trick will expand how high your ceilings look, plus it’s a great way to add storage.
11. Furniture that can be folded, stacked, or wheeled away is your friend. Simply push it out of the way when it’s not in use.
12. Don’t fill up every exposed shelf in a room. Leaving some empty space will give your small space an airy look.
13. Installing either a built-in desk that takes up the entire length of a room or expansive counter-tops in your kitchen, will create the illusion of a long room.
14. Buy some of your furniture in the same color as your walls, that way it simply.
15. Don’t automatically place your furniture against walls. Sometimes placing a piece at an angle or surrounded by open space, will make a room look bigger.
16. Opt for a dining table that can be made smaller or larger with removable or drop leaves to make the most of the space that you do have.
17. Make your room appear larger by painting the walls, trim, and detailing in different shades of one color, such as off-white.
18. Make your ceiling pop painting it in a bright color, which will drive the eye upward, and create the illusion of high ceilings.
19. Leave your windows uncovered, to create a sense of depth in a small space.
20. Color coordinate your knickknacks and books, which will make your space look streamlined.
21. Consider a striped floor, which will make your room appear like it goes on forever.
22. See-through furniture—like glass tables and Lucite chairs—do a great job of fooling the eye into thinking there is more space than there actually is.
23. Instead of overhead fixtures, which draw the eye to one spot, add several lighting elements in a small room.
24. Just because a room is small, doesn't mean it can’t be dramatic. Big pieces of art can add a heck of a lot of drama to a small space, and make the room seem bigger in the process.
25. Consider buying furniture that will fill an entire room, like a large bed that takes up an entire bedroom, and then building custom shelving around it. Half of the battle of making a small space work is thinking outside of the box.
If there’s one time of year when purging and sprucing up your home is widely regarded as a typical weekend activity, it’s probably now. After all, why wait until Spring to clean out your cluttered spaces when you can do it in the dead of winter, when there’s not that much else going on?
We sat down with ultra-chic home goods site One Kings Lane co-founder Alison Pincus and Andrea Stanford, general manager of merchandising, designer, and vintage goods, who gave us some unbelievably easy decorating tips and tricks for transforming your home for the new year. Read on to get inspired!
spruce space
1. If you love an object, you can make it work.
“I always say, buy what you love,” One Kings Lane’s Andrea Stanford tells StyleCaster. “I think sometimes people get a little caught up in oh, it all has to fit together and has to be a certain style. I think if you love it, you can make it work.”
2. Know the purpose of your space.
“I always try to start with a general plan when I’m thinking about a room,” Andrea says. “What’s my idea for this room? How am I going to live in this room? I think that’s the biggest thing. Where is the TV going to go? Where am I going to sit? Am I going to entertain in here too? What are the multiple purposes of this room?”
3. Invest in a few staple pieces.
“First, I like to get the big pieces,” Andrea says. “I love the idea of buying original. There’s so many knockoffs out there right now, and it’s just a bummer, because you can get the original chairs. You can find the original design, you can really support great design by being smart about it. Look around and find those pieces. I think it’s so much better to invest in some great pieces in the room—just like an outfit. You get the great shoes, you get the great bag, the rest of it you can sort of play around with. I think it’s the same with a house. You invest in a couple of key pieces, you can do it smartly, and the rest of it can all sort of come together.”
4. Pinterest is your best friend.
“In addition to not buying all at one time and really taking your time, I also think it’s really helpful to do your research,” co-founder Alison Pincus says. “Get inspired by blogs or rooms on Pinterest, make a file for yourself and think about, what would I love to live with it? Unlike fashion, the price per ticket for home items is much more expensive.”
5. Know the cheap tricks.
“What I’m so impressed with some of the women we’ve worked with who are very focused on getting great coffee table books or great books for their bookshelves, and knowing that they can do lots of different things with books,” Ali says. “You can put books below your lamps, for example, and it makes your room feel very lived in. You can also get great throws. If you have a sofa that you don’t love, you can make it look better by throwing a throw on it. You can also change out pillows for pretty cheap.”
6. Take your time.
“Don’t be in a hurry,” Andrea urges. “Get the main pieces, but don’t do it all at once. Because if you try to do it all at once, it feels like you did it all at once. Once you start living in it, you’re like oh, you know what, I actually need a table here that should be a desk and this. Get things as you love them.
“Have your list of what you’re looking for, and then continue to add the special pieces, so you can say oh I got this on that trip and I love it. Just don’t be in a big hurry. No one cares if everything is finished, because even if they come over, that’s what makes it fun. You throw down a blanket on the floor, and as long as you’re pouring good wine, no one cares if you have enough chairs. It doesn’t even matter.”
“Most of us make mistakes when you’re shopping in a hurry,” Ali adds.
Whether you’re in the midst of trying to recover your strands from a misguided cut or simply want longer locks, you may have a hard time patiently waiting for your hair to grow. (We've been there.)
Luckily, unlike the watched pot that never boils, concentrating on your hair growth can yield actual results, particularly when it comes to strategic eating. Here are eight foods that help lengthen your mane, recommended by Harvard and Yale Medical School-trained nutritionist Jayson Calton, PhD, and licensed nutritionist and fitness chef Mira Calton, CN.
1. Salmon: This fish is loaded with the strong hair supporters like Vitamin D and protein, but it also contains omega-3 fatty acids that promote hair growth by keeping your scalp healthy.
2. Yellow Peppers: Yellow bell peppers have nearly five and a half times more vitamin C than oranges (341 milligrams, as opposed to 63). This is good news for your locks since vitamin C is an antioxidant that strengthens the hair shaft and hair follicles, as well as prevents breakage.
3. Oysters: Zinc deficiency has been noted to cause hair loss and poor scalp conditions and oysters are loaded with zinc — just three ounces contain 493 percent of your daily value. But not just any oysters will do: Steer clear of the ones caught in the Gulf of Mexico, which may contain unusually high levels of Cadmium due to the 2010 BP oil spill.
4. Eggs: Eggs are an excellent source of those aforementioned omega-3s, and they are also contain biotin (which many people trying to grow their hair take in supplement form). But, just so you’re aware, it’s not the egg white that will make your hair long and beautiful, it’s the yolk. Eating too many egg whites can actually block the absorption of biotin into the body, causing a depletion of this micro-nutrient.
5. Sunflower Seeds: Just a few little seeds can supply you with an abundance of vitamin E, which will enhance blood flow to the scalp and promote faster hair growth.
6. Sweet Potatoes: These are loaded with beta carotene, the precursor for vitamin A that not only promotes a healthy scalp but promotes hair growth. But choose foods loaded with beta carotene over supplementing with high doses — like over 2500 milligrams — of vitamin A from retinol since it can be toxic at very high levels.
7. Avocados: Due to their high concentration of essential fatty acids naturally found in skin cells (which help to keep your skin smooth and supple), avocados are an age-old beauty secret. When topically applied to the hair and scalp, they have the added ability to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Mix a little avocado with sour cream (which contains lactic acid to help exfoliate dead skin and clean up buildup on the scalp) and apply to your hair and scalp for about ten minutes before washing it off.
8. Almonds: These nuts will make your hair grow faster and thicker due to their high biotin content. One cup contains nearly one-third of your daily requirement. You should be able to see the results in a month or two of adding them to your diet.
Image via Fabrice Lerouge/ONOKY
Posted by Natasha Burton
The Chira Project is covering different types of bedtime stories that will scare the pants off of little children. If you know of any kind of scary bedtime story, please share it with us. This is our first bedtime story is none other than... Bloody Mary!
Bloody Mary is not only a drink it has a history behind that name. Bloody Mary is a ghost, if you invoke her name 3 or 13 times in front of a mirror, she will come and kill you on a very violent way. Like scratch your eyes and face to death, cut your head in small pieces, take you with through a mirror or something even worth. There is another version that if you call her she will haunt you for rest of your life. But it exist some nicer versions, if you messes her name 13 time at midnight and watching into a mirror. She will help you to talk with a dead person in 8 minutes or tales you about your future.
Nobody knows who Bloody Mary was, there are many theories. Some of them that she killed her children another is that she was burned during witch trials or was it maybe Mary the first of England, she brutally executed people for heresy. Maybe is Bloody Mary mix of all those women? But the question is…. Would YOU call her?
Urban Legend #1:
She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors.
***********************************
Where are the missing girls?
Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones.
Is Bloody Mary killing the missing girls to bath in their youthful blood?
Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town.
**************************************************************************** Does Bloody Mary cast evil spells on young ladies?
The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter.
The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.
As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to make her young again.
Do you believe the curse of Bloody Mary?
From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name three times before a darkened mirror lighted only by a candles glow, will summon the vengeful spirit of the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped forever in the mirror.
(Pennsylvania folklore)
How Do You Play Bloody Mary?
What you need is one candle, a strong heart and a big bathroom with a large mirror. Turn out the lights, place your candle down and light it, stand and look into the mirror, chant slowly “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary”. And see what happens…..
If nothing happens try spinning around three times and then look into the mirror. You may just catch a glimpse of her terrifying face.
Try it out if you dare, but don’t blame me if you find yourself trapped in a ghostly netherworld with the ghost of Bloody Mary forever!
Urban Legend #2:
Bloody Mary is the children's game of summoning an evil and vengeful witch of the same name. This is done by standing in a bathroom, with one candle lit and calling the name "Bloody Mary" into the mirror three times in a row.
It is only the bravest of children who would attempt to participate in this game.
It is believed that by taking part in this game, and summoning the witch, it would have one of the following terrible consequences:
Eyes being ripped out by the witch,
found with claw marks all over body,
disappear mysteriously from the bathroom and end up in the mirror with the witch for eternity,
view the horrifying image of the witch appear in the mirror,
driven insane or dropping dead on the spot at the appearance of the witch in the mirror, and/or
suffer terrible claw marks all over face.
Variations of the game are:
Calling out "I stole your baby Bloody Mary" into the mirror.
Calling out "I killed your baby Mary Worth" into the mirror,
Calling out "I believe in Mary Worth" into the mirror,
Turning around between one to one hundred times in front of the mirror, and/or
Blowing the candle out and calling out to summon the witch in the dark.
**************************************************************************** There are also variations on the name Bloody Mary:
Mary Worth,
Mary Whales,
Hell Mary (for the appearance of Satan),
Bloody Mary Worth, and/or
Mary Worthington
These names are not so commonly used. The main name used is Bloody Mary.
The History of the Game
The history of the children's game Bloody Mary is a difficult one to extract from the large amount of mixed up legends and history that over the years has become the main basis for the story surrounding the game.
The most common story told is that Mary Worth was a witch that lived over 100 years ago who dabbled in the black arts. She was found out and executed. However this does not tie in with a child or baby which is often mentioned in the ritual of summoning her.
The other story accompanying the ritual is a local woman was involved in a fatal car accident nearby, her face horribly mutilated. She reappears in the mirror when summoned with that same horrific face.
It is largely believed that the origins of the names "Mary Worth" and "Bloody Mary" came from a slight mix up of characters from history. There is a lot of speculation as to the names being taken from Mary I, Queen of England who reigned during the Tudor period. Mary Tudor was also commonly known as "Bloody Mary."
Her nickname of "Bloody Mary" became attached to her when she violently executed and burnt people at the stake for heresy throughout her reign of a little over 5 years.
She also was unable to bear children and suffered two phantom pregnancies, this is where it is speculated that the Bloody Mary game involving chanting "I stole your baby" or "I killed your baby" became tangled up with the now known Bloody Mary game.
There is another suggestion that the name "Mary Worth" was derived from a victim of the Salem Witch trials. There was no person involved in these trials by the name of Mary Worth.
Other surrounding additions to the "Bloody Mary" game are derived from the legend of Elizabeth Bathory, who it was rumored bathed in blood and took part in other atrocities to save her youthful beauty, of course her name was not Mary but somehow the stories of this cruel woman have been inserted into the Bloody Mary game.
However this game came about and whenever this game was first invented the one thing we do know for sure is that the ritual of spinning and chanting has evovled from quite a long time ago, when young girls participated regularly in rituals such as this to find who they would marry and when they would marry. There is also the addition of mirrors which were known as being portals to another world, especially during Victorian times. Add in a little more of the olde time spiritual beliefs including covering mirrors while in the presence of a dead person or at a funeral, some spooky ghost stories told at bedtime, and it seems to have all somehow combined over the years to form the now famous game of Bloody Mary.
What Will Happen If You Play Bloody Mary?
After all the explanations and tales of the supernatural I expect if you've read this far you are dying to try out the game. What you need is one candle, a strong heart and a big bathroom with lots of mirrors. LIGHTS OUT in the bathroom.
Place your candle in the bathroom and light it, stand and look into the mirror, chant slowly "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary". And see what happens!
Its up to you to believe what you may or may not experience. If nothing happens try spinning around three times and then look into the mirror - see anything yet?
Its believed that most people see something after spinning around furiously which is usually the result of over indulgence of sugary, high-energy foods, and lots of friends standing outside a darkened bathroom. As for those reports and stories you hear from all your friends... those stories that involved dark figures, violent slashes, cuts and bruises- well before you believe anything... ask for the evidence and then decide for yourself.
Until then try the game if you dare... but push one of your friends into the bathroom first!
Urban Legend #3:
Bloody Mary is a spirit of folklore and an urban myth which has inspired the legendary Candyman - sometimes refereed to as "Hell Mary" this legend is one that has fascinated young people for generations: though the exact origins of the legend or its associated customs is unknown.
History
According to legend Bloody Mary is the ghost of an unhappy woman who either committed suicide due to having her baby stolen or was accused of murdering her children - depending on the variation used this turned her spirit mad with grief or anger and she would haunt the world via the use of mirrors (in an almost identical fashion to Candyman).
Known in life as Mary Worth it is traditionally said that "Bloody Mary" will appear if a brave (or foolish) soul chants her name three or more times next to a mirror in complete darkness at midnight - according to the variations of the legend above one is also said to be able to make the ghost appear via stating "Bloody Mary, I killed your baby" or "I believe in Mary Worth".
Of course anyone foolish enough to provoke Bloody Mary is said to pay the price, unlike many ghosts (who merely scare humans) Bloody Mary is said to be capable of physical harm and will either kill her victims via disfigurement, decapitation or scratching their eyes out - if she is in a "merciful" mood Bloody Mary is said to simply turn her victim insane or (in rarer tales) she may take a fancy to someone and drag them into the mirror (presumably to the Other Side - like the ghosts in Poltergeist did).
Although the tales of Bloody Mary are dismissed as a modern fairy-tale of sorts by most people it is still a popular "game" amongst certain groups of people and may even be a rite of passage to some, a means of confronting one's fears or a way to play a mean prank on someone.
THE BEST BLOODY MARY RECIPE
This Bloody Mary recipe is as delicious as it is easy to make! Recipe yields four servings for your convenience.
Bloody Mary Mix Ingredients:
1 quart V8 juice
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 small limes)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons hot sauce, preferably Crystal brand
1 tablespoon olive juice, preferably from Manzanilla olives
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Suggested Garnishes:
8 pickled green beans
8 Manzanilla olives, speared two at a time on toothpicks
4 lime wedges
4 lemon wedges, seeds removed
4 pickled okra
4 celery stalks
METHOD:
In a large pitcher or mixing bowl, combine all ingredients in the Bloody Mary Mix section.
Stir well, cover and refrigerate for two hours (up to overnight) until flavors meld.
When ready to serve, divide the Bloody Mary mix between four cups filled with ice.
Garnish liberally with your choice of suggested garnishes listed above. Add more or fewer garnishes depending on your taste.
*NOTE*:
That this recipe yields about 4 servings which means each serving is receiving 2 shots (ounces) of vodka. Adjust to suit your taste from there.
Bloody Mary formula guided by Chow.com.
prep:15 MINUTES total:2 HOURS, 30 MINUTES
Welcome to Witchy Thing Weekly, in week three; we will be talking about Nature!
How many of us actually have the time in our day to go outside and be one with Mother Earth? None of us really because we usually have a busy schedule. But if we were to take just 10 minutes and go outside in nature to mediate or do our rituals/chants we will be stressed free.
Some people just get so caught up in the material things like the witchy tools that they don't appreciate the finer, richer things in life like nature. So, go out in nature, you never know what adventure you might have out there that are waiting for you to explore.
Welcome to Witchy Thing Weekly, in week two; we will be talking about Spells and Magick!
A spell is basically using different tools, objects, movement, rituals to help focus your energy towards a specific attention and to build that energy up, until you have enough to let it go towards your goal or your intention.
Not everyone can use tools, most people just sit quietly and put their intentions out their and that's their spell. And there are those people who have to do the full on circle and ritual at their altars to perform the magick.
You don't have to have a specific way to perform magick, basically, do what feels right to you. Just because a book tells you to cast a magick circle or use certain tools, you don't have to follow it to a certain degree. Because the whole principle behind a spell, you are getting together these different kinds of tools to help you focus on your intentions on your goal.
The other way too look at spells is to compare spells to prayers. When you go to church, what do you see? You see: Candles, incense, the priest who is all dressed up, paintings, statues everywhere, everybody is quiet when they pray and put their head down to send their prayers out their, after they are down; they sing their hymes. Isn't that exactly what we do? We have: Candles, incense, dress in your witchy outfit, chant and statues. Its very similar to a Christian prayer. Its basically the same thing that everybody else is doing but we just call it some thing different. (I tried telling this to my Father and he wouldn't listen to me, him kept on insisting that its devil worshiping).
Spells - You can use basically anything that helps you focus; such as: Crystals, Athame, Cauldron, Herbs, Feathers, Candles, Leaves, Tree, Snow, etc... Use whatever you want that feels right to you. You Spellbooks as a guide line, don't follow them to a tee. You can always substitute ingredients in spells that you don't have to make the spell perfect for you. If the chant in the spell doesn't rhythm or seem right to you, change it to your own accord. Add your own Spell/Chant. The spells in the Spellbooks, just use them as guide lines; you don't have to follow them to a tee, you don't know where the spells came from and just because it worked for that person doesn't necessarily mean its going to work for you.
The main thing to remember is when you are doing spells/magick is that you ARE the one who is performing the magick and the energy is coming from you. Just as long as you have some thing to focus your intention on it doesn't matter.
Money Spell
-Green Candle
-Green Crystal: Aventurine, Pyrite
-Herbs Pertaining to Money (Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Herbs)
-Cauldron
-Piece of piece of paper to write your chant down or what you need and burn it.
Spellbooks
-The Goodly Spell Book
-Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells
-Everyday Magic
-Spells Bible
Hey Beauties! The last time I did a favorites blog seemed like a forever ago. But this time I'm gonna do it a bit differently from how I would normally do these kinda blogs. Along with me explaining to you what I've been loving; I will post a photo of my favorites on here. And don't forget that there is a March Vlog Video at the end of this blog!
So, let’s get started!!!
The categories are:
1. Skin Care
2. Hair Care
3. Jewelry
4. Media (TV Shows, Movies, Music, Books, Social Sites)
5. Humans (YouTube, Celebrities, Favorite Person on a Social Site)
6. Fashion
7. Food
8. Drinks
9. Beauty (Nail, Makeup, Lotion, Perfume)
Now, I'm only going to pick 1 from each category; 3 of the categories I gave you an example of what is in there. But again, I'll only be choosing 1 particular brand from each category. And in the photo will be a group of only 9 pics.
In order according to the category list:
1. Benefit Eye Cream
2. Hair Ties
3. Circle Bracelet
4. Revenge
5. Adam Lambert
6. Charming Charlie Nude Rhinestone Handbag
7. Red Robin (Its a restaurant in my mall that I'm obsessed with)
8. Starbucks
9. Jon Bon Jovi Unplugged For Her Perfume
March 2014 Vlog: New YouTube Schedule, Video Requests, Insta-Haul: Charming Charlie, Macy's Clinique Counter, Frederick's of Hollywood, Barnes and Noble Bookstore/Cafe
| crhserenity
3. Opt for sofas and armchairs that are raised on legs, which creates a sense of light and space.
