So you received a lovely bouquet from your partner or you want to create your own beautiful centerpiece that will last longer than a few days. Fortunately, there are some ways you can preserve your flowers for as long as possible!

For picking flowers – never cut with scissors, get a pair of garden cutter shears because scissors crush the stem which prevents the flowers from getting water. Always cut the stem at an angle, so it is tapered at the bottom, this will give the flower the most water.

For maintaining flowers – keep bacteria from building up. How to do this is by using bottled or purified water and changing the water daily but if this isn’t possible, add a little sugar or clorox to the water and make sure you remove any petals or leaves that may have fallen into the water.

Some flowers are needier than others – here are a few ways to pick and maintain specific flowers:

Tulips – roll the stems in wet newspaper and submerge in cold water up to the head. When ready to vase them, scrap the newspaper and place them in cold water.

Lilacs – Place them in one-quarter cup vinegar per two quarts of water for longest life

Irises and daisies – Add a few drop of peppermint essential oil to a quart of water

Roses – the roses that will bloom and not droop are the ones where the petals feel tightly bunched, if you have loose petals there is a good chance they will be bowing their heads before the end of the day.

Are there any other ways you maintain or pick flowers that keep them vibrant and long-lasting?

Be sure to put these tips into practice the next you make a floral centerpiece or receive a lovely arrangement from a friend!

See the article here: sixdifferentways.com

Whether you drink coffee, green tea or some other pick-me-up drink in the morning or throughout the day, there is a 3 part drink you can have in the morning that will help give you energy for the rest of the day.

The Ultimate Morning Revival Drink

what you’ll need:

• Bag of Lemons or 4-6 lemons
• Bag of Oranges or 4-6 oranges
• Fresh Ginger
• Honey
• Milk
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Celery (1 – 2 stalks)
• Tomato Juice
• Cayenne Pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Tabasco Sauce

Part 1: 7 AM

Mix 2 cups milk and 2 tbsps of honey in a glass. Drink with your morning breakfast.

Part 2: 9 AM

Mix freshly squeezed orange, 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, 2 tbsps of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh ginger – sliced in thin pieces, 1 cup boiling water together in a pot. Pour into a heat proof mug. Sip slowly but drink it as hot as you can.

Part 3: 11 AM

Mix 2 cups tomato juice, 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, a dash of tabasco sauce,  3 dashes of worcestershire sauce in a shaker with ice. Pour into a glass and add a fresh stick of celery and mix your drink with it.

You can drink this health drink everyday but start with 3x a week and increase intake slowly.

In 3 easy steps you can create the ultimate energizing drink that will fill you with vitality and sustain you throughout the rest of your day!

See the rest here: sixdifferentways.com

Haikus can serve as much more than a style of poetry originating in Japan. They are actually quite beneficial when it comes to gaining clarity and simplifying your feelings and thoughts. Haikus are only three lines and  express a vivid and direct messages in only 17 syllables. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables and the last line has 5 syllables. I find it much easier to write a haiku when I count the syllables on my fingers.

Sometimes we can over analyze and over complicate our feelings, thoughts and ideas. I’ve used haikus to get to the heart of a the matter and when I’m feeling blocked creativity, they are a fun and simple way to get the ball rolling again.

“New Year’s Day
The desk and bits of paper
Just as last year”
– MATSUO

They are a great way to observe the nature of the world around you, providing you with new perceptions and most importantly, placing your in the present moment.

“Loves of the cat;
Forgetful even of the rice
Sticking on his whiskers”
– TAIGI

Don’t worry if you find it a little difficult at first to make a haiku, they take practice because they offer a whole new way of thinking to whoever makes them.

Want that New Orleans look and feel to any room in your home? Use these 6 simple steps to give it that Louisiana style you’ve always wanted.

Wall Paint – Make your base a soft pale pink, a vivid salmon pink or wine red- this means paint the whole space in this color.

Next, paint the trim in a seafoam green, chartreuse or aquamarine color. You can play with a combination of these or use one as the accent / trim color.

Furniture – Add pale yellow, off-white or ivory decor and furnishings, try a rustic contemporary style – choose pieces that look shabby chic yet elegant or try a traditional Victorian style choose items that look vintage yet regal.

Lighting – Royal chandeliers and lampshades with bead work and fringe are an additional option.

Accents & Decor – Add decorative, gold framed mirrors of varying sizes and New Orleans inspired artwork on the walls and long draped curtains to windows

You know those epic poses you see superheroes do in the movies? How about Wonder Woman’s classic pose, legs spread shoulder width a part, back straight, chin up and fists on her hips? Poses like that are what researchers at Harvard University, The University of Oregon and The University of Texas studied and what they discovered is that body language plays a large role in our hormone levels.

They all discovered that leaders and those with more confidence had higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol – these can be affected by a number of factors but one factor totally within our personal control is our body language if we are aware of it. Amy Cuddy and her team conducted a study and found how different poses which they called “high power” and “low power” poses affected testosterone and cortisol levels. They discovered that when in a high power pose for 2 minutes or more, testosterone increases by 20 percent and decreases cortisol levels by 25 percent.

Aside from hormone levels, our body language will also influence the way others perceive you as well. Having a more open, relaxed and strong demeanor as opposed to having a closed off and guarded one is generally more inviting and powerful.

You can use these power poses before a big meeting, an interview for a new job or even just to feel more confident throughout your day.An easy solution to turn you into the Wonder Woman that you are!

Read the rest here: sixdifferentways.com

In 1953, sculptor Isamu Noguchi designed a ultra modern rocking stool that underwent many transformations in size, shape and design until it eventually evolved into the artistic and contemporary Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table it is today.

The Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table features a round, plywood table top in several melamine finishes making it extra durable and adaptable to a variety of dining room design motifs. However, the most eye-catching and strikingly exquisite feature is the unique twisted base.

The base is a like a work of art and makes sense that a well established and highly admired sculptor would have created such a piece. The Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table base is extremely sturdy and attractive – made of carbon steel and comes in a choice of white coated, black coated or polished stainless steel. It comes in two different sizes and can comfortably fit 3 to 4 people around it.

When paired with the right chairs and decor, it is a wonderful addition to a contemporary, modern and even industrial chic dining room or kitchen design. An excellent match is the Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table paired with Molded Fiberglass Side Chairs.  These chairs have a similar lovely sculptural appearance, not to mention that they are also mid century modern classic design reproductions by famous design duo Ray and Charles Eames.

The Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table is a high-quality reproduction combining innovative form and attractive design in one beautiful home furnishing. You can find The Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table from a trusted seller of well-made and affordable mid century modern and contemporary furniture.

Read more: sixdifferentways.com

Whether you are working late nights, running around with the kids, have a new baby to care for or you simply can’t fall asleep, you can sometimes wake up feeling groggy, sore and just plain exhausted. My first instinct is to run to the coffee pot for some liquid energy- which of course helps, but another great method is to start a daily practice of morning meditation and vocal toning.

Even if you don’t think you know how to meditate or you’ve tried and couldn’t sit still, just 5 minutes in the morning is a great way to begin, which can eventually increase overtime. Meditation comes in many forms, joggers say they enter a meditative state on their runs and caregivers say they can enter a meditative state when washing the dishes or folding laundry – menial and repetitive tasks – but what they do is help clear the mind through moving the body. This form of morning meditation requires stillness, breathing and using your vocal chords – which is great because who wants to immediately jump out of bed and do chores when we are already feeling tired.

Upon waking, sit upright in your bed, you can have a pillow behind your back or you can find a comfortable place on the floor, place a pillow underneath your bottom or even go outside if you have a backyard and the weather is nice. Sit crossed legged and take 3 deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel your chest and belly swell with each inhale and on the last breath blow out as much air as you can.

You may start to feel tingly and relaxed, you may even want to go back to sleep but this is when the fun part comes in. On the fourth breath you inhale deeply and upon exhaling – let out a giant “AUM,” or “OOOOOOOMMMMM.” Let it out for as long as your exhale is, then inhale again and repeat. The sound “OM” is a powerful mantra and upon saying it especially as loud and openly as you want, its vibration recharges your mind and body and wakes up the senses in an organic and calm way.

This mantra increases concentration, rejuvenates the mind, clears away negative or obsessive thoughts, removes toxins from the body,  decreases stress, anxiety and blood pressure. Once you have sufficiently repeated this mantra – sit in silence for several minutes. You will find your head is clearer, your body feels more awake and the grogginess and sleepiness has dissipated.

This is great to do as a daily practice but sometimes I forget and honestly – sometimes I just don’t feel like it – but whenever I do take the time to do this short morning meditation and vocal toning,  I feel calm, collected and focused throughout my day and things flow more smoothly.

Here is the original post: sixdifferentways.com

Dusty Blue is traditional dark blue having a grayish hue to it. It is calming and draws the eye to it subtly without overpowering. This color looks incredible with a room dominated by a linen white, cream and a bronze or taupe color scheme.

The magical quality of dusty blue is that it captivates attention without being so prevalent that it it becomes a discussion by every person that walks into the room. However, it may draw attention to artists, designers and a few observational souls.

Dusty blue is a very versatile color.  You can use dusty blue as the color on an accent wall, the entire walls of a particular room or in a few pieces throughout the space. If you don’t prefer white and beige colors or browns and earth-tones, you can pair it with pastels. Pale yellows and soft pinks make great partners to dusty blue.

Another great feature of dusty blue is you can create a colorful room without using white, such as dusty blue mixed with soft pink and add splashes of more vibrant, eye-catching colors as decor within the interior space.

Not sure of what splash of color would work best? Try sage green. It really adds a whole other element to the landscape without overpowering.

Dusty blue is a color you can have a lot of fun and flexibility with, experiment with your space and see where it takes you!

The lion, a regal creature with great power, hunting abilities, a strong family structure and majestic appearance is not just the “King of the Jungle” protecting the land and all the animals within it, but also the King of the Home.

The symbolic representation of this royal animal can be see in the stone lion we see guarding the entrance way of homes, estates, palaces and buildings has a rich history in design. These exterior fixtures have their origin in China, they were known as Foo Dogs or Shishi meaning “stone lion.” These ancient symbols stood outside of imperial palaces, imperial buildings, government buildings, temples and homes of the elite.

They represented protection, often in pairs, which symbolized both protection and stability in the home and those dwelling within it.

They are made of stone, bronze and marble shown in various sizes, some are very large, almost the size of the home they are protecting.

The guardian lion can be found all over the world, an excellent example in the United States can be found outside of the New York Public Library in NYC.

The symbolic image of the lion, with its mouth fiercely or sitting with a stoic posture and strong presence has transitioned to not only exterior design demonstrating its protective quality but can be found inside the home or building as a watchful guardian for the space and the dwellers within it.

Read more: sixdifferentways.com

Well, you can have it! The features in this chic and contemporary living room come down to a few furnishings and a paint job! The best part is, if you don’t have time, energy or resources to repaint your space, a white, gray, dusty blue or off-white will work just the same.

Let’s get started: The unique coffee table you see here is called the Noguchi coffee table. The sofa and lounge chair set you see here is mid-century modern / contemporary design with dusty grey fabric. The metal legs on this sofa and lounge chair set provides a nice contrast with the wooden base of the coffee table and also reflect light to brighten the space. The Waverly Sofa, The Elysian Sofa, The Darwin Sofa and The Dexter Sofa are similar designs. The cream colored lounge chair to the left of the photo lightens the space especially with such darker colors. The Kjaerholm PK20 Leather Easy Chair is similar to this design and comes in a variety of colors.

Add a few accent pieces and decor such as The Duke Candleholder and The Outreach Arc Lamp or the Sussex Floor Lamp to get you started – but once you have your main pieces, it’s easy to start to experiment with your own style in the overall motif. Have fun!