Always Luxury

If your dog is like mine, he hates being dressed up. Even if I put a scarf on him the first thing he does is rub against the furniture trying to get it off. The only thing he doesn’t hate wearing is his collar, and I think that’s just because there’s no easy way for him to remove it. I wanted him to be at least a little fashionable, so I bought him a few fancy dog collars, one with a zebra print in celebration of his stubbornness.

I found that amongst dog collars, there really is an option for every kind of personality and attitude. Now that he’s not just plain old Jackie all the time, I feel better.

Many people who have encountered fused glass have done so in jewelry stores or art galleries. And this makes sense as the results of fused glass make for stunning and beautiful pieces. Whether it’s a pair of fused glass earrings or an artistic series of glass tiles, fused glass can be understood as any glass that has been exposed to extreme heat in a kiln. These temperatures generally range from 1100 degrees F to 1500 degrees F.

The process of firing is generally broken into three separate stages. The lowest range of heat is a process known as slumping. The next higher heat range is what is known as tack fusing, while the highest heats are considered a “full fuse.” Most often, the process involves stacking very thin pieces of glass of varying colors to create unique patterns and colors after the heating process. Amateur artists should be wary, however, of attempting this process without any supervision. The extreme temperatures of the glass make it very prone to shattering during the cooling process.

Long before new parents bring that bundle of joy home from the hospital, it’s necessary to do some preliminary planning. My wife and I made the relatively common decision to keep our baby’s sex a secret. The only person who knew whether our baby was a little boy or girl was the family physician. As such, we were somewhat limited in our choice of nursery wall decor.

We didn’t want to paint the room blue or pink, as those colors are obviously associated with masculine and feminine themes. Instead, we chose neutral colors like yellows and off-white hues. We were still able to get creative in selecting animal-themed wall hangers and a luxurious round crib, however. Now that we’ve met our daughter and welcomed her home, we’re considering decorations befitting of a little girl.

We’ve all passed that unfortunate woman on the street – the unsuspecting soul who sprayed just a bit too much perfume before going out for the night. Unbeknownst to her, everyone within a 10-foot radius will be wondering why she smells like a French bordello. If you even suspect that this woman was you at some point in your life, it’s time to learn to handle a crystal perfume bottle with confidence and restraint.

Step one is to apply the perfume before you put on clothing or jewelry so as not to stain them. Focus the spray on the body’s pulse points: the throat, wrists, cleavage and crooks of the elbow. Do not spray perfume into your hair unless it’s freshly washed. Otherwise the natural oils in your ’do will change the scent. Bear in mind that good perfume does not last forever – even in a quality container. Oxidization is perfume’s worst enemy as it breaks down the fragrance.

When a new baby is on the way the necessary preparations can be overwhelming. From doctor visits to Lamaze class, it seems that there is always something to do. One of the most enduring decisions that you will make is how to decorate your baby’s bedroom.

Most people immediately consider the traditional baby blue and light pink nursery decor, but you may want to rethink that decision. Remember that your child is not always going to be a baby, and there will undoubtedly come a time when they outgrow the traditional nursery room staples. To avoid having to completely redecorate the room in a few years, try to make choices that will appeal to your child as they reach adolescence.

The internet has made millions of people billions of dollars, but one industry that has been pushed to its breaking point by the e-revolution is print media. Newspapers and magazines around the globe are slashing their staff and going out of business. Just in the last year the Christian Science Monitor, traditionally one of the largest circulating publications, completely eliminating its print editions

This week there were more causalities as Condé Nast announced that it will cease publication of Modern Bride, Elegant Bride and two of their gourmet cooking magazines. Brides will now have to look on the internet and elsewhere for wedding accessories and planning tips, although they were probably already doing that anyways.

In an age when divorce rates are at an all-time high and few relationships last more than a year, it’s somewhat miraculous that my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary last month. On such a momentous occasion, I was hard-pressed to come up with a gift idea. My brother and sisters had been talking about their prospective gifts for weeks leading up to the party, and I kept putting the decision off until the last minute.

In search of some inspiration, I asked my grandmother permission to look through some old photo albums. Then, smack-dab in the middle of an album from the late ’70s, it hit me. I found the funniest old photo of my parents attending a Halloween party as cast members from The Godfather. I found an elaborate photo frame to complement the image and wrapped it up in preparation for the big day.

I adopted a Siberian husky from the pound about a year ago, and the learning curve has been steep. Huskies aren’t exactly easy to train, and it took a few months to get the puppy to behave acceptably around other people. Unfortunately, I still haven’t trained her not to run away from the house. So far it’s happened twice, and without the help of designer leather dog collars, she might still be lost.

It all started when I let the dog outside to use the bathroom and turned around for a few minutes – seven at the most. When I shifted my attention back out the window, I saw that the dog had run away. I rushed outside to investigate, thinking that at least I had remembered to fit her with a collar featuring all of her identification tags. Just before evening, a good Samaritan returned her safely to my apartment door.

The area in the home where pets eat and drink is notoriously dirty due to splashing water and messy eating habits. This condition is exacerbated each time the pets eat and drink because they can eagerly push their bowls around, spilling and splashing more each time. You may have given up on this area looking elegant, but there is a solution to make even the feeding area look chic. All you need is a high quality pet feeding table to instantly elevate the look.

Pet feeding tables are elevated tables that are made of rich wood and hold two pet bowls – one for food, one for water. Each is a stainless steel pet bowl, and they are included with each feeding table. The tables come in three sizes – small, medium and large – to accommodate the size of your pet. The raised design provides optimal digestion and minimal neck strain while eating and drinking. These heavy tables would be difficult for any pet to move around while eating, so spills will likely be reduced, keeping your pet feeding area looking clean and chic.

If your home is tastefully and luxuriously decorated, why ruin the design with a mangy old pet bed for your dog or cat? Sure, you can find inexpensive beds at pet stores and wholesale stores, but what’s the point if it doesn’t match your carefully coordinated home? You want your dog or cat to feel just like part of the family, and he or she deserves the nicest bed available. Plus, an extremely comfortable pet bed will keep your dog or cat from napping on your expensive furniture.

Don’t settle for a cheap, generic dog bed – there is a wide selection of luxury pet beds available to satisfy any dog, cat and stylish owner. Look for understated, cushioned wooden beds that match your furniture, in woods like mahogany, walnut and zebra wood. Or pamper your pet with something more elaborate, like a canopy pet bed or an ornate iron bed. Whichever special bed you choose for your beloved pet, he or she – and your nice furniture – will thank you.