New Items in My Etsy Shop

I added two new items to my Etsy Shop today. One is a set of four Emerald Green Placemats. They are washable and available for order in other colors.

The second is another iPad Mini case. This one is in a yarn called Zebra, a mix of black and white dyed yarn. This like many of the items in my shop is available for custom order!

I Have Pantry Envy

My house is not big enough to have a pantry like this, although I keep scheming on how to re-finagle the kitchen to ad one in. I have a feeling I will be dreaming for a while!

Source: honeyandfitz.blogspot.com.au via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

Thank You, Suggestion and Added Advertisements

First of all I want to thank all my new followers. Over the past couple days my followers on both my Facebook Page and my Pinterest Boards have grown substantially. If you havent ventured over to either I invite you to!

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will notice some subtle changes to my page but some big ones in the future of this blog. In order to keep my daily blog going I have added some advertisements in additions to the Project Wonderful ones I have already. Although they have helped they cannot fully pay for the operating cost of this blog.

At the bottom of my blog you will notice some added links and ad boxes. All the added ads are from places that I endorse and will never be anything that I would not myself, or have not participated in or purchased. All ads are somehow related to what I have and will talk about in this blog.

I also want to take this post to ask you if you have any suggestions for A. Nieman Design going forward. Please feel free to contact me via facebook or email. All questions, comments and suggestions are appreciated!

Have a wonderful Day!
-Alison

New Year means a New Calendar

Every year we go out and purchase a new calendar fr our fridge or our desk or office space. Why not use your calendar as a piece of art! Check out some great artistic calendars I found on Etsy!

 2013 Desk Calendar

 2013 Card Calendar

 Kitchen Calendar

Design Trend: Brass

A great design trend that is popping up everywhere is Brass. Brass can be a great accent and it doesn't have to be dated either. When some people think about brass they picture the old door knobs that are a glossy right brass and are not that attractive, and I will  be the first one to admit I'm one of them. So how do you make brass less unattractive? 

Brass that is shinny can be a little harsh, and I believe thats why some people think of it as unattractive. To remedy this try to find an antiqued brass or vintage brass. The difference between bright and brassy and aged and brassy are huge when adding a great deal of it to your room. And lets face it, when it comes to metals they tend to be a large part of a room's appearance. They are on your door knobs, your light fixtures, your drawer pulls, so a less abrasive metal is not only more appealing but more relaxing. 

Here are some different ways to use the Brass design trend in your home with Etsy!

Vintage Swan Brass Figure

 Vintage Brass 4 Piece Utensil Set

 Heavy Vintage Brass Vases

 Vintage Brass Enamel Urn/Vase

 Ornate Brass Vintage Picture Frame

Emerald - the Color of the Year - How to use Etsy to create an Emerald room

Pantone comes out with their colors of the new year each year. For 2013 the color of the year is Emerald. Along with Emerald other colors that are going to be popular in both home and fashion are Jade, Dusk Blue, Lemon Zest and Nectarine to name a few. For the full list visit Pantone's website.

Today I wanted to put together some home accents found on Etsy to help you put together an Emerald room. Changing just your accents and accessories can make a world of change in your home.

A piece of art:

Token of Affection - 11x14 in. Romantic print

A handmade pillow:

Hand Knit Medium Pillow in Grass Green

Some green vintage books:

Vintage Book Collection 7 Shades of Green Home Decor

Etsy Item of the Day 1.8.12 - Vintage Mirror

What a beautiful addition to a traditionally designed home! I would use this mirror as a great accent over a hand painted chest in a hall way. A mirror of this size is meant to be an accent piece. 

It can bring the illusion of more light into a small space and double as a great art piece. Items that double for different functions are essential for smalled homes, dark room etc.

Italian Tarot Mirror

Etsy Item of the Day 1.7.13

I really want this chair! I may need to make room some where in my house. Adding a chair with pattern and color is a great way to ad just a sprinkle of fun without going bold on your main pieces like your sofa and/or love seat.

Mid Century Modern Club Chair

Try adding some pattern with an accent chair! This chair would look great with a white sofa or for the more practical (ie people with children) try it with a chocolate brown or dark grey/black sofa. This chair has lots of fun color to pull from for pillows, accent walls, or accessories.

Half Painted Walls

This is a great way to add height to a room or to bring a really tall ceiling down a tad.

Source: athomeinlove.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

Ribbon Organization

I have been meaning to do this with my ribbon. I pinned it a while ago and still have yet to accomplish this one. Right now all my ribbon is sitting in a box, labeled ribbon. Biggest problem with doing it that way is that they don't stay tightly rolled and I can't see everything I have.

 Main reason I love this ribbon organization method is that you can see everything you have! Now I just need someplace to hang it. Having an old house I don't have extra closets for craft stuff. Need to find a independent closet thingy!

Source: creatingkeepsakesblog.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

Organizing

Organizing is a great way to get motivated. An organized home can help anyone be more productive in the new year. I love organizing but when things aren'r organized for ease they can quickly become unorganized again. I find that this is where I often fail in my organizing efforts in my own home.

In an effort to become more organized this year in my home and in my life, I am putting together some of my favorite inspirational organizing tips and projects. My pinterest board Organize has been put together with the goal in mind to get more organized. If you are looking for some inspiration and some motivation follow my board.

Also I wanted to share a sample here of some of my favorite organizing tips. Below are some of my favorite pins.

The Wrapping Station

Source: craftynest.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

The Laundry Station

Source: decorhacks.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

The Cleaning Station

Source: bhg.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

Happy New Years! My New Years Resolutions

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I am glad that you have joined me again in this new year. I am really excited about this year and have many plans for this blog and ANiemanDesign.

Earlier this week I posted on my here a link to a poll I am taking on my Facebook page asking what you would like to see more of from my blog this year. Please take a gander over there and vote if you would! I want to get all the feedback I can get.

This time of year we all think about improving ourselves. I am looking to improve myself and my work. I hope that as you travel with me we can create a dialog on what is working and what is not working.

What improvements are you looking to implement this year?

Please comment below to help us help each other improve and stay on track!

Thank you for reading and welcome to my new readers!
-Alison

Etsy Item of The Day 12.31.12

Source: etsy.com via Lisa Rossiter on Pinterest