Apartment Blog

In 2008, Site Selection Magazine ranked Dayton the #1 medium sized metropolitan area in the nation for growth and expansion. This in important to know, because you surely want to move to a place city that is growing, but will also help you grow along with it!  Whether you are single, newlywed, or a family you will find Dayton to be an exciting and safe place to live. Dayton has a rich history of invention and innovation . Dayton is also known for its many patents, inventions, and inventors that have come from the area, most notably with the Wright Brothers’ invention of powered flight.

Imagine your kids growing up in an area known to encourage imagination and propel dreams to full fruition. They may grow up to take care of you one day with the money they make from one of their inventions or patents.  However, it doesn’t have to be just your kid’s dreams and goals, it could be the fulfillment of your own.    The environment in Dayton and the constant reminder of past achievements will serve as a natural motivational tool to help you continue on your path to greatness. This is a perfect location to call home!

Get more information and search tips on Dayton Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Dayton, OH.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton,_Ohio

I read some amazing tips from the Country Living website that will instantly refresh your decor by trying out a few new color shades.  Given that most of our readers are apartment renters, these tips will accommodate those with limitations!

I will be splitting up these ideas into five blog postings, one blog for each color. These will provide specific details with each color palette for creative decorating tips. What’s on today’s agenda? The color green!

Pair pale green with other pastel shades for a retro look.  Fun details like a trendy lampshade and a wall display of plates add character and charm!

A neutral couch can be given a tropical feel with botanical-print pillows and broad-leaf potted plants.

Apple green paired with white makes for a cheery and inviting room.  It also happens to be a very big trend in home decorating!

Don’t forget to include nature! You can add beautiful potted plants to complement any space (see photo)!

In a white, airy dining room, a green tile area rug will help ground the space. Dark wood furniture would also balance the bright white elements.

Another great color combination is green with aqua! A green furniture item, such as a couch or chair, partnered with cool aqua creates a fun but relaxing room. A geometric area rug with those colors can help bring the combination together.

Kelly green linen curtains enhance the elegance of old world furniture and provide a touch of color. White pillows with green patterns would also dress up a room as well as add flair for the otherwise traditional space.

Green sofas give a garden air to a space filled with pale neutrals. Light, bright colors are good candidates for airy spaces with tall ceilings and ample windows. This is actually how I’ve decorated my place; paired with beach accents it’s a very calming environment.

The same feeling can be accomplished in your kitchen! Vintage dishware in icy blue, watery aqua and shades of green throughout a space creates an environment that is inviting to guests and calming for the cook. Place those dishes and other décor items inside a green hutch, shown on the left, and you’ve created a fabulous focal point!

Source: Country Living and Better Homes & Gardens

It’s a tradition with my family year after year. We always pile up in our car and drive around to look at Christmas lights. There is one house in particular we always stop and see. We call it the ‘NOEL House’ as it has the ‘NOEL’ saying prominently displayed on its rooftop. We also make it a point to go to see the Holiday lights at Virginia Beach Oceanfront. There is something grand about looking at the holiday light displays across our city. I look in amazement at the creativity and the excitement that I feel. I feel like a child again, anxiously waiting for the big day!

Accumulated by americasbestonline.net, here is a list of the best holiday light displays in cities across the nation. Look who turned up number 11! J If you are near one of the areas, make sure you go out and look at the wonderful lights displayed.

1. Silver Dollar City- Branson, MO
Millions of Christmas lights cover the whole park. Plus, the entire city is transformed into a holiday wonderland each evening at 5:30 p.m. as guests join together on the Square for the lighting of the dazzling, five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree. Adorned with over 250,000 lights coordinated to blaze to the musical movements of Christmas songs, this unique Special Effects Christmas Tree presents classics such as “Carol of the Bells” and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in a spectacular light and sound show.
  
2. Oglebay Festival of Lights- Wheeling, WV
In 1985 a holiday tradition began at Oglebay and spread throughout the city of Wheeling. That tradition is the Winter Festival of Lights celebration. The first year, displays and landscape lighting covered about 125 acres over a three-mile drive throughout the resort. Since then, the show has grown into one of the nation’s largest Christmas light shows, covering more than three hundred acres over a six-mile drive throughout the resort. 
 

3. Fantasy of Lights- Pine Mountain, GA
A 5 mile drive by car or trolley takes visitors past 13 holiday scenes with more than 8 million  Christmas lights.  Since 1992, this outdoor light and sound show has glittered with holiday magic for millions of people. Families from across the Southeast have added Fantasy In Lights to their list of memorable holiday traditions. This year, experience the 15th annual Fantasy In Lights with its eight million lights creating more than a dozen beautiful scenes, and you’ll see why this is the brightest holiday light show in the South! 
 

4. Smoky Mountain Winterfest- Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN. 
Smoky Mountain Winterfest is a magical celebration that begins in late fall.  Ride the Trolley Tour of Lights around Pigeon Forge and claim a spot on the sidewalk  for Gatlinburg’s “Fantasy of Lights” Christmas Parade, featuring lighted floats, marching bands and giant helium balloons.  This event combines 3 Tennessee cities: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. These neighboring Smoky Mountain towns are ablaze with 5 million lights thru February. 
 

5. Trail of Lights - Austin, TX
The  Trail of Lights is a mile long display of 42 lighted scenes, US Post Office, Santa’s House, the Yule Log, and an entertainment stage. The festival begins with the lighting of the Zilker Tree, a 155 feet tall, 180 feet diameter lighted tree consisting of 3,309 bulbs on 39 streamers strung from Austin’s historical Moonlight Tower. Since 1987 the honor of lighting the tree has been bestowed upon the winner of the city-wide children’s tree coloring contest. The tree lighting ceremony takes place on the first Sunday of December. 

6. Magical Nights of Lights - Lake Lanier, GA
Rekindle an old tradition or create a new one at Lake Lanier Islands Resort’s 16th annual Magical Nights of Lights holiday celebration. Known as the world’s largest animated light extravaganza, the fun kicks off November 22 through December 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm. nightly! Bring the whole family a drive through tour of over six miles of twinkling, holiday light displays and a live nativity scene complete with live actors and animals!

7. Holiday Festival of Lights, Charleston, S.C.
Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission created the Holiday Festival of Lights to bring families and friends together and to raise support for the Charleston county park system. With over 600 individual displays located throughout the park in 132 power locations, the Holiday Festival of Lights is a magical sight to see! 
  
8. Enchanted Garden of Lights, Chattanooga, TN
See Rock City! The gardens’ natural beauty is complemented by more than 25 holiday scenes as half a million lights illuminate rock formations along the Enchanted Trail. 

 9. Southern Lights - Lexington, Ky.
The annual Southern Lights event is the largest fundraiser held for The Kentucky Horse Park. Over 25,927 vehicles passed through the electrical wonderland in 2006 alone! Everything from petting zoos, model railways, arts, crafts, and Santa Claus fill the Indoor Attractions section free of charge to guests.

 10. Mission Inn - Riverside, CA
This magnificent hotel and grounds have over two million Christmas lights!  Enjoy the sounds of the holiday season as our Dickens’ Carolers stroll throughout the hotel every Thursday through Sunday, beginning November 25, 2005, or enjoy a romantic carriage ride around the grounds - to take in the lights of the holiday season.
 
11. 100 Miles of Lights - Virginia Beach, VA
Come share the glow of the season and experience millions of lights and hundreds of events from Virginia’s capital city to the Atlantic Ocean. The region will glitter and glow, sparkle and shine with lights, lights and more lights. 100 Miles of Lights features holiday events and activities in Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.

Drive-through and walk-through light shows will dazzle and shine with more than two million lights, providing a colorful backdrop to the wide range of events and activities for the young and young-at-heart. Lighted boat parades, city illuminations, festivals, parades, living history re-enactments, caroling, dining events, music and dance are among the many activities occurring throughout the region from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.
12. Bright Nights at Forest Park - Springfield, MA
New England’s most popular holiday destination and largest drive-through lighting display. Two and a half miles of Forest Park are illuminated with more than 500,000 twinkling lights, bringing the magic of the holiday season to life for people of all ages, in dozens of dramatic scenes such as “Poinsettia Fantasy,” “Seuss Land,” “Toy Land,” and “Victorian Village.” Plans are in place this year for bright new displays, and special celebrations to commemorate the holiday traditions of the many cultures that make up the region.

Source:
http://www.americasbestonline.net/christmas.htm

As the weather starts to drop we all tend to stay indoors more, which is why our focus now becomes the environment surrounding us. And we sure have some great ideas to cozy up your apartment for the cooler weather! Starting with the colors, textures and other accents to incorporate that will give your apartment a ‘sit down and get comfortable’ feel.

Fall Colors:
The Autumn Harvest showcases rich colors all around us. Taking inspiration from the changing of the leaves, colors such as gold, orange, red, brown, green and even a soft white prevail in home decor. Keeping your color scheme and design as natural as possible is essential, as this time of year is all about celebrating the glorious beauty nature provides for us. Most apartments for rent do not allow paint to be used; therefore, I would recommend the best way to include these colors is with accent pieces. Things such as a tall green vase with twigs blooming out for a centerpiece on the dining room table, a red and gold bowl filled with pinecones on the entertainment stand, or several framed photographs with the matte changed to reflect these colors, are perfect examples of making little inexpensive adjustments to your apartment’s decor.

Outdoorsy Textures:
When our body gets cold, we tend to put on another layer; whether it’s a sweater or a jacket or socks. And just as we do with our own body, our home needs many layers to give it a warm feeling. Layers can be placed throughout your apartment; for example blankets and throw pillows on the sofa, bed linens and even towels in the bathroom. Warm fabric touches everywhere will provide the pleasant and inviting atmosphere you want for your apartment home.

Additional Accents:
As we mentioned in a previous article, Top 5 Autumn Decorating Tips, creating a wreath is a great way to instantly greet your guests with a simple but homly touch. Use elements from the outdoors such as pinecones, twigs, acorns, leaves, etc. Other great accessories that are simple and inexpensive are candles. They provide such wonderful fragrance to your home while simultaneously creating a friendly environment.

I’m sure many of you have additional ideas or tips as to how to decorate for fall. So why don’t you let us know? It would be great to have our readers provide decorating tips that have worked for them!