Top Lighting Ideas For Your Home Or Office

Are you decorating your new home? There are many aspects which should be considered while designing a home or office. One of the most important aspects of home decoration is lighting. Lighting is important for each and every room of your home or office.

There are many things which should be planned. First of all you decide overall theme of the lighting. You can choose one theme for whole home or you can choose separate theme for separate rooms. Some rooms need bright light and other need dimmer lights.

One more type of lighting is known as task lighting. This type of lighting helps a person to fulfill a certain type of task. It can help you in reading, writing, cooking or washing. Task lamps should be glare free and should not affect eyes.

The fourth type of lighting which should be used in home is natural. The windows of the house should allow more light to your house. Natural type of lighting is useful in many ways.

Nowadays all the types of lighting equipments can be bought online. Internet shopping is getting very popular. There are several benefits of internet shopping. Internet shopping allows you to compare the prices several lamps offered by different online stores.

There are some things which should be considered while shopping online. It is a good idea to plan your budget in advance. Proper budget helps a lot in saving some time. Don't forget to do some research on the internet. Proper research and home work can help you a lot in making best possible choice.

Deck Lighting Tips and Information

Decking lights are very classy and are the hot topic this summer. All of us have seen lights that people put in their yard to accentuate certain things, but have you seen lights on a person's deck to accentuate the wood platform? While this is not as common as yard lights, the trends show that it is becoming more common every summer.

Deck lighting is a great way to bring safety to your deck that you usually sit on to enjoy your yard and landscape during the evening hours. Most people just put a big flood light on the back of their house and call it good. The problem with this is that is literally floods out the visibility of seeing your pretty yard all lit up at night. Deck lights are much better way to keep light on the deck, but to also be able to better enjoy the scenery around you.

Deck lights come in all sizes and shapes and of course, prices. They sell lights that can be installed on posts, and there are lights that even go into the floor of the deck that you can step on. The most popular deck light fixture are the stair fixtures that light up the steps you have on a deck. These types of lights provide a lot of safety benefits for your deck as tripping and stubbing your toe at night is never fun.

If you love enjoying your yard at night on your deck you need to look into decking lights. They will bring a whole new level of enjoyment to your yard enjoying experience.

Crystal Chandelier For an Ordinary Home

Having a crystal chandelier in one's home is like saying that there exists a timeless elegance within that four walls. There are many styles, shapes and sizes to choose from. There are generally hundreds of crystal chandelier available in the market today that will suits one's taste in beauty and elegance. With all these choices it will allow you to install one practically anywhere. Whether you want to add a bit of elegance to your dining room or you simply want something that reflects the light beautifully in your bedroom, a crystal chandelier is the perfect choice for many homes.

The first thing that comes to mind they someone hears a crystal chandelier is that it is a huge, enormous and glittering masterpiece hanging in some mansion. What many don't realize is that there are simple, modern designs as well. With all these kinds of designs, one can go with a classic, antiquated look or a sleek modern design, you'll be hard pressed to find something that doesn't suit your needs.

One important factor to look out for when planning to purchase a crystal chandelier is the crystal itself. Of course, the type of crystal used in the chandelier plays a huge role in its quality. Many people may not realize is that crystals used in chandeliers aren't real crystals at all. Then what is it, you might asked? They are glass that has been treated with a percentage of lead oxide, then cut and polished to a beautiful shine. In most cases, the quality of the crystal is determined by the amount of lead it has. The higher the percentage of lead oxide, the brighter and more reflective your crystal will be.

Other factors that determine the quality of crystal include the accuracy of the cut facets as well as the polish. Considering that most crystals are manufactured by machines, the odds of you finding a scratch or dull spot on your crystal is fairly rare. Some would also say that the region in which the crystal was produced also plays a role in its quality. Some famous brands of crystal include Swarovski crystals from Austria or Baccarat crystals from France.

Crystal chandelier is a very delicate object for sure. Once you've purchased your crystal chandelier, you may feel leery about performing maintenance. This is completely natural. However, cleaning crystal isn't difficult. In most cases, simply dusting the crystal on a regular basis is enough to keep the worst at bay. You have to take note though, for more severe cases, you may need to use a very gentle solution. Some use a mixture of ammonia and water while others prefer polishing each gem gently with diluted vinegar. When cleaning, be sure to cut off the power to your chandelier or put small plastic bags over the bulbs to prevent electrocution.

These are only a few tips to consider when purchasing and caring for a crystal chandelier. With regular maintenance, you should be able to keep your crystal chandelier in working order for years to come. Learn more today about how these gorgeous products can brighten up your home and transform rooms.

Illuminating the Kitchen

Many people simply have the desire to redesign, remodeling or redecorate something in their homes each and every year. It is almost like it has become a part of their recreational activities. One year they may choose to replace the kitchen cabinetry or install a new natural hardwood floor in the living room. Sometimes, it can be just a minor improvement; such as repainting all of the rooms. If you happen to be one of these individuals who are planning to give your kitchen a little facelift, replacing all the older light fixtures may be an excellent thing to do. In many years past, the ideal kitchen illumination amounted to installing a fluorescent tube fixture in the middle of the food preparation area. This was considered to be the most important thing to do.

However, in the marketplace of today, there are many different types, styles and colors of lighting fixture that a homeowner has the opportunity to choose from. In fact the variety is so wide that making a decision will not be an easy task for anyone to do. The lighting of a room can have a significant impact on our way of thinking. Therefore, it is quite important that the homeowner does a little research before they make their final decision.

The most popular kind is still the ceiling light; simply because of the great amount of illumination that it produces in an area that has a lot of activity going on. The selection dilemma now arises; since we are confronted with several versions. For example there are chandeliers, pendant lights and flush or semi flush ones that are available. Pendant lights are a one piece fixture hangs down a foot or more from the ceiling; whereas chandeliers are comprised of a collection of individual dangling prisms that are all assembled together into one unit. If this is not enough, you can also opt for the kind of lights that are installed underneath the cabinets. This type of brightness will prove to be very helpful when the designated family chef is trying to quickly prepare the evening meal. They are also useful when used as a night light.

It is always a good idea to spend a little time wandering around your local home improvement store. They usually display a huge variety of almost any kind of light fixture you may be looking for. This is really where you will be able to actually see and feel the change of atmosphere that a simple thing like a beautiful light fixture can make in your home.

The Flos Arco Lamp

As floor lamps go, there are very few that could be considered household names, but designer Achille Castiglioni's Arco Lamp is definitely one of them. A masterpiece of Italian design, the Arco Lamp features a graceful arch of stainless steel, rising from a base of solid black or white marble.

Originally conceived by Castiglioni in 1962 to provide the flexibility to light specific tasks without the need for overhead lighting, the Arco Lamp became an instant hit among interior designers for its simplicity and elegance, while its modernism has ensured its continued popularity among the style-conscious to this very day.

Widely considered a classic of modern lighting design, the Arco Lamp has also found its way into the popular consciousness through being featured in many films, from 1962's James Bond movie Dr. No to this year's Iron Man 2.

One slight drawback for the average consumer however, has always been the astronomical price-tag. While the sixties originals are now collectors items, even the official Flos reproductions come in well over the £1000 mark, with some retailers charging as much as £1500 (nearly $2200).

The continued popularity of the lamp however, coupled with the resurgence in modernism in contemporary interior design have led to the production of replica Arco Lamps at the more down to earth price of around £200-250, putting this beautiful floor lamp within the budget of the average consumer.

If you are considering buying a replica Arco Lamp, there are a number of factors you may want to keep in mind before making the purchase. Chiefly among these is the sheer size of the lamp. At over 2 metres tall, it really needs to placed in a room with fairly high ceilings - not only because it wont fit in a smaller room, but because to really show off its grandeur, the lamp should be given the space so that its elegance is not cramped by its surroundings.

Another point to bear in mind is the weight of its marble base - roughly 50 kilograms, which while keeping the arched stem of the lamp firmly on the ground, makes moving the lamp after it has been placed in a room more than a little tricky. This being the case, it is often best to place the lamp in a corner, as there is less chance of anyone bumping into it - important if you have small children for instance - and the length of the stem should more than compensate for the lamp being out of the way.

Ideas For Hanging Your Outdoor Pendant Lighting

Outdoor pendant lighting can change the look of your outdoor spaces by enhancing architectural details and shedding a warm illuminating light on the areas you wish to accent. Not only are outdoor pendants a more up-to-date option in exterior lighting options, they're also a more inviting and cozy welcome for your arriving house guests. From the front porch to the back patio, the outdoor pendant is proving itself to be a formidable opponent for the ceiling flush mounted light. Here are some ways you can incorporate the pendant into your exterior décor:

The Front Porch - a pendant will do wonders for your front porch - especially if it's a screened in or otherwise weather protected area. The pendant will immediately give it an "indoor" feel. Having an indoor feel on the exterior will add the illusion of increased square footage as well as bring your guests a warm welcome. If you have the room, hang more than one fixture in uneven numbers and then add a bench, small loveseat or a couple of chairs with a small table and some other decorative touches such as throw pillows and greenery, and you'll have an instant outdoor living space.

The Back Patio - is an ideal space for a pendant. If your home has roofing over the back patio area, then no other fixture will give it a more cozy environment. Adding a few outdoor pendants in either a circular pattern - in uneven numbers and lengths - will enhance both the round table below as well as the entire space. For a rectangular or square table, hang the outdoor pendants in a group of three either triangular (for a square table) or in row (for the rectangular table.)

This type of lighting is an exterior enhancement that many homeowners are beginning to realize can not only replace their existing lighting but can also increase the home's exterior beauty and elegance. Outdoor pendants are available in countless styles, in many different shapes and in various sizes and materials. From glass, metals and many combinations of materials, the fixtures are often as beautiful as true works of art. The vast selection assures shoppers that there's the perfect design that will blend in cohesively with any home's existing architectural features. Thankfully, they're also available in prices that fit in with every homeowner's budget as well. For the greatest selection and price options, start your search online.

Office Lighting - LED Retrofit For the Office With ZERO Out of Pocket Expense

Conserving energy is one of the main concerns these days and we all are now becoming conscious towards it. This is why new and innovative energy saving products are coming up in the market and most of us are investing in these new products. One of the innovative energy saving product that is being used popularly is LED lighting, which is perfect for office lighting and for residential use as well.

Using LED lighting in your office is one of the best ways to cut down on your electricity bill, which helps you to save money and energy as well. Using the LED retrofit for your office will help you to cut down on electricity consumption and therefore you are able to save more than what you spend on installing the LED lighting. Thus you can pay the fitting expenses from the savings you made and have ZERO out of pocket expense.

Some of the other benefits of using LED lights for your office lighting are that these bulbs enjoy a longer life which is almost ten times more than the normal bulbs. This means that you do not have to buy the bulb again and again and are able to save money. They are more durable and at the same time do not heat up the room, which is a common feature associated with normal bulbs. Since these bulbs do not heat up your office therefore you do not have to worry about air conditioning cost.

The LED bulbs used for your office lighting use less energy as compared to the regular bulbs which means that you can cut down your electricity bill by 80 %. There are stylish and innovative Led light available these days and you can use them to make your office look elegant.

Thus there are a number of advantages associated with the LED retrofit for office. Using these lights for your office means that you can cut down on your electricity bills and increase your productivity by manifolds. These bulbs are environmentally safe as they help in conserving energy.

The installation charges for these bulbs are zero as compared to the savings you make. A number of commercial organization and offices have now replaced their old lights with these LED lights and have already seen the difference. The U.S. Department of Energy also recommends the LED lighting for office. You can also make use of these bulbs for your office. They are available with companies like Energy Smart Industry and are Energy Star qualified.

What is the Composition of a Solar Lighting Arrangement

Solar lighting is so common in usage today because it provides environment affable products, which cost house owners so less. However, as solar lighting is available in a large variety, buyers often get perplexed which kinds of lights are the best for their house. However, the composition of all kinds of solar lights is the same. Therefore, buyers should know them before buying them. A typical solar light consists of an incandescent lamp, a rechargeable battery and a solar panel. The solar panel is the most important object of the entire arrangement. It is a collection of associated photovoltaic cells or solar cells, which change sunlight into electric current. They produce electricity when they imbibe electrons through electromagnetic radiation. Solar panels are able to produce electricity as they have silicon cells that aid them in this purpose. These silicon cells are rechargeable batteries that store the absorbed sunlight.

Now, the light in solar lighting can be produced through both LEDs and incandescent lights. Therefore, it is up to the buyers to choose which one out of them. LEDs (light emitting diode) are miniature lamps present in solar lights and consist of two terminal units. They do not produce much light, but other optical elements in solar fixtures reflect the produced light. Such LEDs produce electricity when an electric current is provided to them. The incandescent lamps on the other hand produce light by using heat supplied through the solar power. Incandescent lights also have a cheap manufacturing cost in comparison to LED's. However, LED'S can generate more light for the electricity consumed. Therefore, they are efficient in using the solar power. The LED lights emit light of any color by making use of various wavelengths; they do not use color filters like incandescent lights.

LED's also do not emit much heat unlike incandescent lights. This heat can damage some super vulnerable fabrics.

Another disadvantage with incandescent bulbs is that they can be damaged quite easily due to shocks like huge noise but LEDs are more durable.

Incandescent bulbs fail immediately when they start losing battery but LEDs emit signals of their failure in the form of dimming light.

Why is Outdoor Solar Lighting So Advantageous

Outdoor solar lighting is so important for every household now because it provides illumination all the time. The most important part is that they add to the beauty of the landscape of a house. Installing outdoor solar lighting is necessary because anyone can fall due to unviewable obstructions in the garden at night. Another benefit is that solar lights can be relocated anywhere because they do not have to be adjacent to an electrical outlet like conventional lights.

There is no need to procure the services of an electrician to install such lights. All you need to do is to make sure, while installation is that they meet the code of your area. When solar lights arrived in the market years back, they were not such user-friendly products because they did not emit a large quantity of light. However, changes were made in them over the years including addition of light emitting diodes (LED) to replace the filament bulbs. These LED's were far more efficient in light generation and hence outdoor solar lighting became the preferred choice. In addition, these LEDs did not produce any heat like the conventional bulbs. Such heat was the cause of frequent bulb breakage.

In addition, since no electricity bills are generated after installing such solar lights, their costs are taken care of. Accent lights are a popular kind of outdoor solar lights. They add illumination to the landscape. However, they can't be used for the safety purpose as they don't produce much light. This lower production of light has a benefit of the longevity of such lights. In addition, they do not need frequent recharge of solar power and can work efficiently for several nights at stretch.

Such lights can also easily charge themselves on a cloudy day when no sunlight is present. Apart from gardens, solar lights can also be used to illuminate pathways through pathway lights. Several of such lights are used to adorn the boundaries of a path. Such lights have a downward facing position or can be positioned in several ways. Photo voltaic cells can also be used efficiently in outdoor solar light because they can generate the maximum amount of light without the right amount of sunlight.

Going Green With Solar Lights

When you invest in a solar lighting option, you actually choose to give the home an heirloom for centuries. These lights are empowered by the solar energy received by the sun. Hence choosing the solar light fixtures gives you a chance to eliminate the carbon footprints being left behind on the planet, at least by you! With the simple add-on of a solar collector panel, you give your home the empowerment to be able to easily conserve solar energy and convert the unlimited supply of sunlight into electrical energy. The choice of solar lighting options is being invested in worldwide today, especially by those conscious about the effect of man's wanton usage on available power.

The best part of the lighting options via solar power is that the lights are actually equipped to shine away through the night as you go about your business during the day! You don't have to monitor anything once the basic equipment is set up. It is a onetime investment options and a lifelong supply of reduced energy bills! Solar lights light up at night on the basis of the sunlight received and stored by the fitted panels during the day. They do call for a certain amount of unobstructed sunlight during the day, but this is to recharge the batteries within. Today there are many online options too that you can tap for potential for bagging the best DIY kits and readymade options in solar lighting.

Solar lights help to not only light up the home, but just about any place where you can save on the expenditure incurred due to the use of conventional source of electricity. The lighting options can help light up the attic and the basement at dusk. They are ideal for accent and indoor and outdoor decorative lighting. The light that flows out of the globules is just as much as that given out by an electrically powered light. Solar lighting is now available in very superior form and design. The efficient rechargeable batteries, ingrained solar cells, Light Emitting Diodes, and reduced energy bills make them apt for the modern home.

Solar Garden Lights For Your Dream Garden

Solar lighting indeed works well in the garden. You may use solar garden lights for lighting the gardens and yards adjoining your house. These lights are easier to install, are maintenance free and they cost you nearly nothing to function. All you need to bear is the cost for replacing those batteries that power solar lights, since they use sunlight for this purpose. You may set the solar garden lights to function automatically at night. They stay lit for more than 9 hours.

Individuals need to position solar lights in the area where there is ample supply of sunlight in the day. Solar lighting might not work well if the pathway or garden is shaded. Solar garden lights may work six to twelve hours in the evening depending on how much sunlight it receives in the day. These lights have built-in photosensor. The photosensor turns on the lights when it grows dark.

Solar garden lights stay lit until sun rises or the battery depletes, whichever is earlier. If you take proper care, solar panels are likely to last for twenty years. Solar lighting highlights certain elements of the landscape or illuminates the dark paths. It is not easy for thieves to steal the solar lights since they are installed permanently on a patio or deck using a screwdriver making it hard to remove them.

In the spring and fall, when you arrive home early evening, often, it just starts growing dark or turns out dark completely. With solar lighting, as energy saver that you install in your garden, you comfortably watch over your garden. You can also water it. People usually prefer watering their garden in the evening hours, since evaporation here does not create any problem. Solar garden lights create an ambience of safety and warmth.

Solar lights is indeed the right choice for your garden, entry path or deck, as it creates a glow. Your garden looks beautifully illuminated and is a center of attention for passers-by. As you step into your garden, you get the feel as if you are at home. These spotlights offer a spectacular look to plain trees at night and increase the value of your property.

Battery Powered Lights

There are many reasons and occasions that battery powered lights are useful for. Some homeowners like to use them to decorate their patios whilst others use them as pathway lights. Other popular uses can include Christmas, Halloween or Birthday celebrations.

What you have to determine first of all is where you intend to use these particular lights and how many of them you will require for your project. If you wish to put the lights outdoors you will have to ensure that they are made for that particular use. For example some of the Halloween lights can only be used indoors.Failure to do so will only result in a fatal outcome.

In addition to the general safety precautions you do need to consider the amount of area or space you wish to cover. This can make a substantial difference in the length of battery powered lights you purchase. And furthermore you could save some extra money in the process if you have this information at hand. It would be cost effective to buy a longer set of lights compared to the process of buying 2 separate shorter ones.

Battery powered lights also come in a wide range of novelty and even different colored models, sizes and uses. You can purchase much larger and longer lights for commercial use as well. If you are planning a corporate event these types of lighting options are far more cost wise than that of hiring a lighting company for the day. Whether for commercial or residential use these types of lights can be in most cases self installed. Obviously you would need to check with the manufacture first.

I would also recommend that you take a look at the other varieties. Such as the patio umbrella lights. These types of lights can be sold separately or they can be purchased with the umbrella. Some are solar powered and I am sure you already know that solar lights have the additional benefit of saving money on your utility bill. Most umbrella lights and be used outdoors as well as indoors. They are also detachable for additional uses. This also makes them portal should you require the use of your lights at another venue.

Selecting the Right Kind of Kitchen Light Fixtures

While we can so easily get sidetracked in perusing the large kitchen appliance catalogues, finding that fridge or oven we've always had our eyes on, selecting the right kind of kitchen light fixtures is also an important part of the renovation or building process.

If you consider that this room is not only the place we create plates of food to feed our families and friends, but is often also the social spot of your home, selecting the best way to illuminate the space makes a lot of sense. You want to have some areas bright enough to be able to cut and prepare safely with the option of toning it all down to create a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere once the more difficult preparations are completed.

Track lighting can supply you with kitchen light fixtures where you need it, with options to change exactly where that spot is. You can use a range of different lighting types with this system, from incandescent to halogen or fluorescent. It's best to install them so that they are on the sides, showing their illumination from the side, rather than from the back (where you'll block them with your head should you move in front of them) or from the front where you'll find it shines in the chef's and visitors eyes.

Instead of lighting from the top down, consider lighting some cupboards from underneath. These lower cupboards are often hard to rummage around in as any impact to them is blocked by other cupboards. You can also install it below top cupboards, shining down onto a bench to make sure you have the best illumination between you, the chopping board and any sharp knives.

Using recessed fittings can give you plenty of clarity and usability, without impeding other design features. These can be placed where you think you need them most, and won't stick out, ready to be bumped into.

If your cooking space will also be part of your living space, and possibly be somewhere that is part of your entertaining area, then considering a dimmer option can be a good idea so that you can have the benefit of a high wattage result while preparing and cooking, and then turn it all down low for hiding the after dinner mess, and to increase intimacy. The key is to select kitchen light fixtures that fit your needs for a useable cooking and entertaining space.

Planned Obsolescence

Planned obsolescence is not a new concept in the lighting industry. Vance Packard's book The Waste Makers written in 1960 tells of the engineer working for GE in the 1930's who suggested a way of increasing sales of flashlight lamps by increasing their efficiency and thus shortening their lifespan. By the 1950's it had become common practice to deliberately design products to fail sooner in order to sell more products.

The lighting industry has stagnated to the point where most of the new innovations are little more than rehashing old products into new packages. Take CFLs for instance. Here we have a "New" product based on 70+ year old technology that was first designed for use in factories during World War II. Fluorescent tube lighting was installed to allow factories to operate 24 hrs a day turning out war materials. Now along comes all the major light bulb companies with Government incentives telling you to replace your old incandescent lights with the "New" CFL bulbs designed to save energy. Is saving energy a good idea? Yes! Is the CFL the best way to save energy? No!

Fluorescent lighting was terrible back in the 1940's and it still is terrible today. You can even check on the planned obsolescence of most CFLs by reading on the packaging and see how long it is designed to last. The package on my desk gives a 9 year warranty. Sounds pretty good until you get out a magnifying glass and read the fine print. Based on 3 hours average use per day. So if you have a place the light is on 24 hours a day the best you can hope for the lifespan of the CFL light is a little over 1 year. Think you can get the manufacturer to warranty the bulb? Good luck.

Now we again have a "New" technology for lighting. Light Emitting Diode lighting itself is based on an old technology that has been in use since the late 1960's. We all grew up with LED lights. They are the little colored lights in every piece of electronic equipment you can think of from the green lights on the front of my computer back to the first VCR machine my Dad purchased in the 1970's. So why is LED lighting considered "New"? The ability of producing White light. It was not commercially viable to produce white light until about 3 years ago.

LED lighting when engineered correctly will move away from the planned Obsolescence paradigm. Correctly working with the technology instead of over driving the diodes should allow you to have an LED light capable of lasting for over 10 years.

But do you know what the problem with most of the lights you find on the internet really is? You guessed it, planned obsolescence. We have seen a flood of lights come onto the market that were not designed to last more than 1 to 3 years. I think most of the lights may even be more of an unplanned obsolescence than planned obsolescence. And the companies selling fluorescent lights are loving it. They still have a huge stockpile of fluorescent lights and want John Q Public to think LED lights are just a waste of money and keep buying the CFLs. After all, you the customer are the one thing the major companies do not plan to make obsolete.

zinez

I am in love with the photos that people are sending us of their First Kiss zines !! It is way beyond exciting to see them out in the world.

Here is a total fave that I could NOT wait to show everyone: Hunter's friend Colin Foord whose company Coral Morphopologic, "serves to connect discerning, conscientious aquarists with the highest quality Floridian corallimorphs, ricordea, and zoanthids" (I think that basically means they breed and sell amazing corals and things? RAD!), sent us a gorgeous photo of FK communing with nature...

Colin's unbelievably awesome pic:

I LOVE IT!

I want to wear those guys! Get me 50 of those neon dudes, stat. Gonna wear them all over a wetsuit and be toootalllyyy AVANT. 

Morphologic Studios seems to do real cool stuff; they make these weird cool videos of underwater life and sometimes...rock posters?

SURFER BLOOD 

Oh, hey there Tiger Flatworm.

'Transmission' from MORPHOLOGIC on Vimeo.

LOVING all these trippy marinelife thangthangs. Colin, you maybe have the coolest job in the world. Thanks for the pic!

PS

If you have a copy of First Kiss, please send a photo! We will put them up on the First Kiss Zine blog and love you forever.

Top Lighting Ideas For Your Home Or Office

Are you decorating your new home? There are many aspects which should be considered while designing a home or office. One of the most important aspects of home decoration is lighting. Lighting is important for each and every room of your home or office.

There are many things which should be planned. First of all you decide overall theme of the lighting. You can choose one theme for whole home or you can choose separate theme for separate rooms. Some rooms need bright light and other need dimmer lights.

One more type of lighting is known as task lighting. This type of lighting helps a person to fulfill a certain type of task. It can help you in reading, writing, cooking or washing. Task lamps should be glare free and should not affect eyes.

The fourth type of lighting which should be used in home is natural. The windows of the house should allow more light to your house. Natural type of lighting is useful in many ways.

Nowadays all the types of lighting equipments can be bought online. Internet shopping is getting very popular. There are several benefits of internet shopping. Internet shopping allows you to compare the prices several lamps offered by different online stores.

There are some things which should be considered while shopping online. It is a good idea to plan your budget in advance. Proper budget helps a lot in saving some time. Don't forget to do some research on the internet. Proper research and home work can help you a lot in making best possible choice.

Outdoor Xmas Lights - Plan Before You Buy

Outdoor Xmas lights are available in different sizes and shapes and it is very important that one actually makes out plans or is very sure as to what is the type of outdoor Xmas lights that he or she is going to buy. Do lots of planning before deciding as to which one will be best suitable for your house. The planning should be relating to the number of outdoor Xmas lights you need, the method of decking it around the tree, shrubs and windows, etc. We would, in this article, look at the ways to buy these outdoor Xmas lights so that you are very satisfied and happy with the purchase which you have made at the end of the day.

Before buying these lights, it is very important that you measure the length of the house so that the outdoor Xmas lights do not prove short for the house. Try to buy an extra thirty feet as a buffer because you never know you might require lighting for places like roofs which you might have not included in your measurements. The exterior portion of the home should also be measured which includes the trees and the bushes that you are willing to decorate with these lights.

After having found out your requirements, try to analyze and find out the number of strings that would perfectly fit your needs and requirements. These strings of outdoor Xmas lights can have twenty five to two hundred and fifty lights in them. It is very important that you are sure as to how much will be required for your house. If you are trying to cover your shrubs and trees, then you might require something like fifty lights in your string. And if the lights are small in size, then the number of lights in the string might increase too.

Now comes the time for making the decision relating to the design and the color of these outdoor Xmas lights. These outdoor Xmas lights can be white or in any other different color. As far as the design and style is concerned, regulars or pearls are the most commonly used ones. For the size, there are the miniature ones and the ones which are quite large. The large ones are called C7 or C9. These lights are basically bigger and are brighter too. They can give up to 125 to 175 watts of light per string and that is the reason why they are used outside because they might prove to be very bright for the inside of the house.

Buy strings which are shorter because if one string burns out then it could be easily replaced by another one. And if you are thinking of using chasing lights, then it will be better that you buy lights which could be plugged into each other. These lights could be expensive at times. Therefore, it is advisable that you wait for the right time or festivals to buy them. During the festivals, these lights are usually available for discounts.

Deck Lighting Tips and Information

Decking lights are very classy and are the hot topic this summer. All of us have seen lights that people put in their yard to accentuate certain things, but have you seen lights on a person's deck to accentuate the wood platform? While this is not as common as yard lights, the trends show that it is becoming more common every summer.

Deck lighting is a great way to bring safety to your deck that you usually sit on to enjoy your yard and landscape during the evening hours. Most people just put a big flood light on the back of their house and call it good. The problem with this is that is literally floods out the visibility of seeing your pretty yard all lit up at night. Deck lights are much better way to keep light on the deck, but to also be able to better enjoy the scenery around you.

Deck lights come in all sizes and shapes and of course, prices. They sell lights that can be installed on posts, and there are lights that even go into the floor of the deck that you can step on. The most popular deck light fixture are the stair fixtures that light up the steps you have on a deck. These types of lights provide a lot of safety benefits for your deck as tripping and stubbing your toe at night is never fun.

If you love enjoying your yard at night on your deck you need to look into decking lights. They will bring a whole new level of enjoyment to your yard enjoying experience.

Crystal Chandelier For an Ordinary Home

Having a crystal chandelier in one's home is like saying that there exists a timeless elegance within that four walls. There are many styles, shapes and sizes to choose from. There are generally hundreds of crystal chandelier available in the market today that will suits one's taste in beauty and elegance. With all these choices it will allow you to install one practically anywhere. Whether you want to add a bit of elegance to your dining room or you simply want something that reflects the light beautifully in your bedroom, a crystal chandelier is the perfect choice for many homes.

The first thing that comes to mind they someone hears a crystal chandelier is that it is a huge, enormous and glittering masterpiece hanging in some mansion. What many don't realize is that there are simple, modern designs as well. With all these kinds of designs, one can go with a classic, antiquated look or a sleek modern design, you'll be hard pressed to find something that doesn't suit your needs.

One important factor to look out for when planning to purchase a crystal chandelier is the crystal itself. Of course, the type of crystal used in the chandelier plays a huge role in its quality. Many people may not realize is that crystals used in chandeliers aren't real crystals at all. Then what is it, you might asked? They are glass that has been treated with a percentage of lead oxide, then cut and polished to a beautiful shine. In most cases, the quality of the crystal is determined by the amount of lead it has. The higher the percentage of lead oxide, the brighter and more reflective your crystal will be.

Other factors that determine the quality of crystal include the accuracy of the cut facets as well as the polish. Considering that most crystals are manufactured by machines, the odds of you finding a scratch or dull spot on your crystal is fairly rare. Some would also say that the region in which the crystal was produced also plays a role in its quality. Some famous brands of crystal include Swarovski crystals from Austria or Baccarat crystals from France.

Crystal chandelier is a very delicate object for sure. Once you've purchased your crystal chandelier, you may feel leery about performing maintenance. This is completely natural. However, cleaning crystal isn't difficult. In most cases, simply dusting the crystal on a regular basis is enough to keep the worst at bay. You have to take note though, for more severe cases, you may need to use a very gentle solution. Some use a mixture of ammonia and water while others prefer polishing each gem gently with diluted vinegar. When cleaning, be sure to cut off the power to your chandelier or put small plastic bags over the bulbs to prevent electrocution.

These are only a few tips to consider when purchasing and caring for a crystal chandelier. With regular maintenance, you should be able to keep your crystal chandelier in working order for years to come. Learn more today about how these gorgeous products can brighten up your home and transform rooms.

Illuminating the Kitchen

Many people simply have the desire to redesign, remodeling or redecorate something in their homes each and every year. It is almost like it has become a part of their recreational activities. One year they may choose to replace the kitchen cabinetry or install a new natural hardwood floor in the living room. Sometimes, it can be just a minor improvement; such as repainting all of the rooms. If you happen to be one of these individuals who are planning to give your kitchen a little facelift, replacing all the older light fixtures may be an excellent thing to do. In many years past, the ideal kitchen illumination amounted to installing a fluorescent tube fixture in the middle of the food preparation area. This was considered to be the most important thing to do.

However, in the marketplace of today, there are many different types, styles and colors of lighting fixture that a homeowner has the opportunity to choose from. In fact the variety is so wide that making a decision will not be an easy task for anyone to do. The lighting of a room can have a significant impact on our way of thinking. Therefore, it is quite important that the homeowner does a little research before they make their final decision.

The most popular kind is still the ceiling light; simply because of the great amount of illumination that it produces in an area that has a lot of activity going on. The selection dilemma now arises; since we are confronted with several versions. For example there are chandeliers, pendant lights and flush or semi flush ones that are available. Pendant lights are a one piece fixture hangs down a foot or more from the ceiling; whereas chandeliers are comprised of a collection of individual dangling prisms that are all assembled together into one unit. If this is not enough, you can also opt for the kind of lights that are installed underneath the cabinets. This type of brightness will prove to be very helpful when the designated family chef is trying to quickly prepare the evening meal. They are also useful when used as a night light.

It is always a good idea to spend a little time wandering around your local home improvement store. They usually display a huge variety of almost any kind of light fixture you may be looking for. This is really where you will be able to actually see and feel the change of atmosphere that a simple thing like a beautiful light fixture can make in your home.

dig it

Tom Petty's first big band was called MUDCRUTCH.
SO weird that name didn't stick, such a nice RING to it...

Summer Friday jamtimes, guys.

summa

I couldn't stay in the city any longer, I just couldn't...Escaped to Quogue for 2 days of bestever.

PHOTO BY ANDREW DE FRANCESCO

Every time I head to Kat's country house, I am like a Fresh Air FUnd kid, basically. We went to a farm to pick our own berries and they had some animals and I was like..THAT'S WHAT TURKEYS LOOK LIKE? WTF?

It's a whole new world out there.

You know what rules? Eating a strawberry you picked yourself and it's all warm from the sun. THAT. RULES. Look at me up there. SO PSYCHED! Def ate twice as many as we put in the box, whoops.

KATIEBERRY

BUNNICULA

You know who else loves strawberries? This crazy ass bunny. He had a serious case of BERRY FEVER. We named him Bunnicula, duh.

BEST LUNCH

I drank a Budweiser barefoot while we drove to a farmstand. We cooked thangs all weekend and I now have a dangerous addiction to rhubarb. 

Most important thing: Upon learning that me, Kat, and his mom all have beaus who are younger than them, 8-yr-old Thomas (a genius, clearly) declared: "I know why. Because younger boys know that older girls are H-O-T-er!"

CORRECT, THOMAS.

CORRECT.

A VERITABLE DOOGIE HOWSER, THIS ONE.

My nose is sunburnt.

sometimes the truth is better than fiction

One could argue that Italian ESL is the best kind of ESL...

One would be correct. 

SG & ADR 4EVA!!!

white girl problemz

Sort of my favorite outfit I have worn in a longggg time. Too bad I stepped out of my apartment into psychotically oppressive waves of soul-suffocating New York City heat. In case you were wondering, I wish desperately that I was escaping right now like I did last summer...I MISS YOU, PORTLAND!

IF MY HEAD IS TILTED MAYBE YOU CAN'T TELL MY BANGS ARE CROOKED AS HELL? 

NICE SMIRK, NOT FOOLING ANYONE CROOKED FACE.

Thrifted French Toast (!) little boy's denim jacket (from the recent Connecticut superhaul), grey tee, Peggy Noland highwaisted-dropcrotched-kneepatched cheetah print pants (with a second set of pockets at the knee), thrifted hippie straw bag that I dig cause my grandmother had one.

I had a lil meeting that day with my girl Kate Fleming..who was wearing her Céline wedges. I DIED. I was wearing Jeffrey Campbell Snicks, TWINS MUCH?

The color discrepancy in our skintones is appalling. I am such an indoor kid. What's a "tan"?

this is so important

Um. UMMM.
Mark Ronson posted this picture of himself from 1992 on his Twitter.
I present without comment, except to say that I am DYING.

I.
MEAN.
IS THAT A SOME KIND OF A BAJA & A BOWLCUT?*

Uh, DREAMWEAVER MUCH?

*clearly i lied when i said it was presented without comment

TONIGHT

I AM VERY MUCH EXCITED. HENCE MY USE OF CAPS.

TONIGHT! At the 92YTribeca. The FIRST KISS Happening!!!!!
Tonight's reading will feature:
Gavin McInnes, Jon Caramanica, a video from Tavi & Spencer Tweedy, Zach Baron, Doree Shafrir, Emily Gould, Leon Neyfakh, and obvi Marisa & I.

PHOTO BY FK CONTRIBUTOR KATIE NOTOPOULOS

It was sold out for weeks, then yesterday they gave us a bigger room! So no more of this bellyaching..GET A TICKET! You can buy them at the door, or order them online.

I better see you there..I mean, my PARENTS are coming, you guys !!!

(un)TIMELY: met gala!

Whenever I get on a roll with other writing stuff, I get way inspired to write on THIS BLOG and then I drop everything else and just write here and then...I never get anything done. I am not, as they say, SPECTACULARLY TIME EFFICIENT.

Sue me. (You'd probs win about $600 USD, a few choice issues of RAYGUN magazine and more vintage polyester frocks than you will know what to do with. I hope that's ok with you)

I never did a Met Gala post. I want to do a Met Gala post.
HERE WE GO.

CATEGORY 1
BEST EVER OR I DIE OR FUCK THAT LOOKS SO GOOD

C SEVS IN PROENZA SCOULER

Fuuuuuuuck. This is perfection. Wait, this is beyond that..this is life goal. 

It's the kind of thing that shouldn't look good on like, anybody and you can't tell anyone about, they just have to SEE it on you ("Um, it's like..a long-sleeved teal lace dress, with kind of a mock turtleneck?"). World please note: The night of the party it was about 98 degrees, raining and humid as hell- a lovely RAIN FOREST LIKE evening. HOW DOES SHE LOOK SO UN-SWEATY?

BONUS SEVS LOVE (also in lace!):

If wearing eye make-up didn't make me look like a 13-year-old trying to sneak into DA CLUB..I would go for this weird eyelid stripe.

Anyways, back to the GAAAAAALLLAAAAAAA

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG IN BALENCIAGA (bien sur, doy doy doy)

Ok, at least SHE looks like what I would look like- and that is to say sweaty as fuck. I could personally care less what happens on her head, body, hand, neck, ears, WHATEVAH. Let's have REAL TALK about her below-the-ankle situation: That shit is BAY NAY NAYS increds. You know when I miss not working at a fashion magazine anymore? When I have the need to just HOLD a shoe like that. E.G. RIGHT NOW.

GRACE CODDINGTON IN...A FORMAL SANDAL

Hey, commit to your look..Whatevs it was a WORK party, basically I applaud it and I applaud your hair. Fuck those gowns! It was hot as hell that night!

THE ZOE IN MARC JACOBS

 

This is glorious. I want it. I wanna pet it. Gimme that.

CATEGORY 2

BEST USE OF A MOGWAI

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS IN SOMETHING, I DON'T WANT TO LOOK IT UP.

Rough night for a smoky eye. Um..why is Gizmo on her shoulder? JUST WONDERING.

At least she had this to entertain her throughout the night:

CATEGORY 3

I KNOW THIS IS A VOGUE PARTY, BUT I KINDA WANTED TO GET BAPTIZED AS WELL...CAN ANYONE OUT THERE HELP ME?

ALT & WHOOPI G

Oh, score. Thanks guys. Meet me at the fountain?

i mean

So..confused..WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU GETTING AT HERE?

This must be a thinly veiled sexual reference 4 billion times over, but..I'm missing it?
Please, be more EXPLICIT next time, Mr Jacobs. Subtlety is for lightweights !

some bands I like to name check

DID YOU KNOW:
When I was in the single digits, MTV used to play music videos almost exclusively? True story!
This song was HUGE.



Did you also know that Michael Stipe used to have hair? A LOT of hair?
Well, now you do.
SIDENOTE: I am wondering how many of you had to Google "Michael Stipe" (Don't tell me).

I used to really dig REM! Is that TMI? Who knows anymore.
You know who else likes REM?

PAVEMENT!
This song says so.



Time to dust off NO ALTERNATIVE (Why am I lying, I never stopped listening to this.)

I was so into this record!!! Iris by The Breeders, Glynis by The Smashing Pumpkins. Such key songs to my teenage angst.

Steve brought up doing a deejay night where we only play this &DGC Rarities Vol 1 (I say WE because I invited myself to be co-DJ). You guys would come, right?!?!?!....right? WHATEVER, we can hang out ALONE and sing along to Jamie:



Aaaaaand that concludes 'Another Trip Down the Rabbithole of Youth Jamz with White Lightning'. Thanks for playing along.

HAPPY FRIDAY.
ALSO!!!!
COME TO THE HESTER STREET FAIR ON SUNDAY!!!! 
Hester & Essex, 10 AM-6 PM.
I'm selling vintage clothes/bags/shoes and some designer stuff (Marni, Chloe, Doc Darcies), copies of First Kiss.
See you there!
EDIT: I canceled due to the fact that it's sposed to rain ALL DAY LONG. Bummertown USA.

what a week it was

Some key moments from the week(s) gone by:

Raowl Julia (Laia, you genius), Hunter, HDS- my three favorite guys.

Everything you'll ever need.

Circle circle, dot dot.

Cats!

This cake is a donut. (I know)

Hunter's portrait of my janky thumb. It looks like a doll hand. Or a 90s album cover.

Denim on denim on denim! New favorite. Plus the ever present red clogs, obvi. Which I realize NEED their own post! Ew, my legs look terrible here. Like a pigeon toed troll. WHOOPS.

sale is my fave 4 letter word

This is very much APPEALING TO MY INTERESTS.

When I went to Mara's studio to pull things for my shoot with MNDR, I saw the full gorgeous mystical DOPENESS that is Mara Hoffman clothes..so much cool stuff that I didn't even know about. The images above don't even really give you the sense of what cool treasures there are to be found

You have 3 days to acquire some really good summertime shiz at 80%off.

Also V V IMPORTANT:
Mention WHITE LIGHTNING when yr paying and you will get another 10% off. I mean...

PS I pulled that beaded harness (pictured over the bikini) for Amanda and it was realllllyyy good.
PPS Any sample sale that takes credit cards is a sample sale I need to know.

it's here!

Our zine is here! It's a real thing! You can buy it and hold it and read it and love it and tell it secrets and take it places as your +1 and hide it in your textbook during AP History and give it to someone you have a crush on!

All these things are possible because the world is your oyster.
And also because I learned how to add code for a paypal button to my blog! (PLEASE LOOK TO YOUR LEFT.)
Also!  
We have a zine blog! You can buy it here, too!

Thank you so so much to everyone who sent in their stories. You are all awesome, but we only had so many pages we could fill..!

Our fantastic contributors are as follows:
Carlen Altman, Loulou Androlia, Lesley Arfin, Aurora Armijo, Zach Baron, Sven Barth, Christine Cantera, Jon Caramanica, Kat Clements, April Starr Daniel, Michael Dempster, Jocelin Donahue, Brendan Donnelly, Elisabeth Donnelly, Claire Evans, Sean Fennessey, Hallie Fryd, Julie Gerstein, Tavi Gevinson, Martin Glenn, Emily Gould, Rockwell Harwood, Shayla Hason, Kelley Hoffman, Sunshine Hurlburt, Aya Kanai, Mat Keel, Shelby Keyser, Katy Martineau, Gavin McInnes, Marisa Meltzer, Ashley Merriman, Bayla Metzger, Reza Nader, Leon Neyfakh, Katie Notopoulos, Caitlin Ogilvie, Marianna Ritchey, Yasi Salek, Doree Shafrir, Elisa Sheehan, Isabel Slone, Laura Spinella,Elizabeth Spiridakis, Hunter Stephenson, Louise Sturges, Spencer Tweedy, Jaimie Warren, Fletcher Woolsey, Aviva Yael, Diana Zapata

Marisa & I are so proud of this...The stories are magical.
Get one!

PS..thank you Hunter for making our Tumblr all linked up and profesh...

eye dios mio

Hey gals n pals! Happy Tuesday!
Time for FUN WITH PHOTOBOOTH! FUN WITH PACKAGES! FUN WITH EYEWEAR!

Maybe you wreck-a-nize theeeeeesssseeeeeee:

FROM A LITTLE AD CAMPAIGN THAT LOOK-A-LIKE THEEEEES?????!

Oh, yeah. JUST SOME S/S 2010 PRADA NEON EYEWEAR, ALL UP IN MY REAL LIFE.

What can I tell you? I have some really amazing friends.
Who messenger mystery packages to your desk in the middle of the day.
And inside is something as delightful as THIS.

I sent him this jpg and he wrote back, "Don't leave the sticker on!"