Some Winter / Christmas craft projects for Fifth Graders

Posted on November 14, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Inexpensive Fifth Grade Christmas Crafts made of paper and fabric, that take few supplies

With the days getting shorter, and kids being inside more, parents and even school teachers are looking for inexpensive projects to bring out the creativity in their fifth graders. This post is a compilation of my best read / most looked at Winter craft project articles. I loved doing them in the fifth grade with Sister Mary Charles my art teacher; hopefully your kids will have fun doing them too. Continue reading →

Posted in CHRISTMAS / Easter, How-to | Leave a comment

It’s easy to make a Tulle Christmas Wreath

Posted on November 8, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Step-by-step wreath making instructions

In the fifth grade with the help of a wonderful nun named Sister Mary Charles (nee Catherine Lily) we created many really nice Christmas decorations; one of them was a tulle wreath. When I made the wreath, before writing this post, I thought WOW in the 5th grade we were quite skilled to be able to create somethings like this, that was very adult, for our young age. Continue reading →

Posted in CHRISTMAS / Easter, How-to | 3 Comments

Fireplace Safety, Using a Fireplace for the first time, and Tips for Stacking wood to make, what I think is, a Picture Perfect Fire

Posted on October 27, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

How to use a fireplace for the first time, and Fireplace tools I recommend having

A fireplace is not a toy, and operating one should be taken very seriously. When you start a fire in your fireplace you are working with something that can look quite beautiful, but, at the same time you are facing wood that is burning at a high temperature and that is giving off carbon monoxide gasses, which if not properly vented could be deadly.

If you are new to owning/having a fireplace, it is of the utmost importance that you know how to properly open your fireplace’s damper, and how to start the draft going, before you ever start a fire. Continue reading →

Posted in How-to, Interior Decorating Principles | 22 Comments

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with Tulle

Posted on October 20, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Putting the finishing touches on a tree at the Albany Institute of History and Art, Festival of Trees

Using tulle to decorate a Christmas tree is something a lot of people are starting to be interested in. In the mid 1980’s and 1990’s I used it to decorate theme trees at the Albany Institute of History and Art’s Festival of Trees. With this post you will see how easy it is to work with tulle, and you will soon be on your tulle-tree swagging adventure. Continue reading →

Posted in CHRISTMAS / Easter | 3 Comments

When buying living room furniture, FORGET the LOVESEAT, buy two Wing, Club or Occasional Chairs instead

Posted on October 13, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Loveseats versus Upholstered Chairs, which one(s) should you buy

Each person has a personal comfort zone. By this, I mean a set amount of inches of space between one person and another while having a friendly conversation. For most people, I feel it is the distance of an outstretched arm.

When you go to the movies or the theater, the arms of the chairs physically and psychologically define your space and the space of the stranger sitting next to you. The chair’s arms give you a comfort zone.

When selecting furniture for a living room, family room or great room, a person should try to figure out what is the maximal number of people who can really sit comfortably in that space for a holiday party or special occasion. Continue reading →

Posted in Interior Decorating Principles | 22 Comments

The answer to …”Can you put a Floor Lamp next to a Sofa”?

Posted on October 4, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

12 possible places to use a Floor Lamp when decorating your house

The Floor Lamp is a very versatile light fixture that you can use in many different rooms in your house. The light fixture comes in an assortment of styles and finishes, and stands 58 to about 64 inches high, with a base that takes up only about eleven inches of floor space. The floor lamp is a decorating element that you can easily places in spaces where large end tables or chests would take up too much room, if they were used as stands for table lamps. Continue reading →

Posted in Interior Decorating Principles, Lighting | 18 Comments

Arranging Furniture around a Fireplace in the Corner of a Room

Posted on September 29, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Nine different way of arranging furniture around a FOCAL POINT in the corner of a room

Every so often a person comes across a house with characteristics that are not common-everyday. One of those different kinds of features is a fireplace in the corner of a room. Having to arrange furniture around it might be a daunting experience for the amateur decorator. I hope that through this post your uncertainties are erased. I know that once you look at the illustrations you will be inspired, and it will be a snap to arrange your furniture and create a space that is a warm and inviting place to be in. Continue reading →

Posted in Arranging Living Room Furniture, Interior Decorating Principles | 59 Comments

An EASY way to get DEW OFF of car windows in the Morning

Posted on September 22, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Eliminate dew from car windows

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, I am waking up and seeing that my car’s windows are covered with dew. I have an easy solution to eliminating that early morning gift left by Mother Nature. Continue reading →

Posted in How-to | 4 Comments

FALL Garden and Lawn Projects ;-]

Posted on September 22, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Outdoor things to do before Winter comes

Autumn is here again, and it is time to do some outdoor chores like fertilize the lawn, cleaning up fallen leaves, planting Spring flowering bulbs (tulips and daffodils), cutting back the garden and getting things ready for Winter. Here are some of my past posts that cover those subjects. I hope my articles are helpful to you.

Why rake leaves? Grind them with the mower! 11-15-2010, Applying fertilizer / Weed control on the lawn 4-27-2011, Tulips..planting, fertilizing and maintenance 4-19-2011, Daffodils..planting, fertilizing and maintenance 4-8-2011, It’s time to plant Spring flowering bulbs, Fall is in the air 9-23-2012, Planting Spring flowering bulbs/tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, etc 11-1-2010, Preparing your garden for Winter, putting it to bed 11-17-2010

Posted in The Autumn(Fall) Garden | Leave a comment

A look at the September 2012 Garden, here at Whimsey Hill House

Posted on September 19, 2012 by fredgonsowskigardenhome

Have you ever had one of those feelings / thoughts that said “take the pictures now before the rain? I had one of those moments on September 8th, the day I shot the pictures for this post. I knew there was going to be rain, and the weatherman was saying there were chances it might be severe. He was right, the rain came down strong and hard that night, and a week later the Heavens opened up again with another big storm that gave the garden another good watering. Here are some pictures of the Calm before the Storm(s). Continue reading →

Posted in Fred's Garden at Whimsey Hill House, The Autumn(Fall) Garden | Leave a comment