The day is here where we announce the Top 5 Olioboard Fan Room boards from the Villeroy & Boch – ‘Travel the World’ Contest. It was such a treat for me to see the creativity that stems from all of you For that I say thanks to everyone who entered, regardless if you made it to the next round. They take a lot of time, and energy so once again thank you! If you missed any of original information from the Villeroy & Boch contest, please click here.

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Today I pair with Villeroy & Boch and The Olioboard Fan Room on Facebook

to brings you the

Travel the World – Stagetecture Olioboard Inspiration Contest

Inspired by all of the international cities of the world Villeroy and Boch offers 1 (one) lucky winner – 6 (six) NewWave Caffè Cities of the World mugs. Gorgeous premium porcelain cups represent the most cosmopolitan cities of the world! Beautiful detailing brings a piece of the world to your morning cup of hot tea or coffee.

Our Guest Judge – Jane Gianarelli

Jane Gianarelli grew up with a creative gene and love for design and fashion. She credits her love for design to being brought up in a home that was in a constant state of being remodeled and furnished with fine furniture. With a decision to study Interior Design or Apparel Design in college Jane opted for the latter and graduated college with Bachelors of Science in Apparel Design. Throughout her career Jane has gained a wide range of business knowledge with years of managing clothing and furniture stores.

Over the past seven years as an Interior Designer Jane has developed her unique system for her designs. Her style includes mixing classic and modern elements with strong colors and patterns to create functional and unique livable spaces. In addition to Jane’s designing her creative talents lie in original hand renderings of interiors. Offering valuable design tools for other Interior Designers like herself, Jane understands how important it is for clients to understand their design with adding a personal touch.

The Winner is:

Eridania Pauline

Olioboard #3 – Breakfast in Paris!

Breakdown of votes:

Olioboard #3 – Paris – 24 votes

Olioboard #4 – Tokyo – 18 votes

Olioboard #5 – NYC – 12 votes & Olioboard #1 – Rome – 12 votes

Olioboard #2 – Germany – 9 votes

Top 5 Olioboard’s – Travel the World Contest with Villeroy & Boch

Olioboard #1 – All Roads Lead to Rome – Tim Citrino

at Vila Citrino and the citrus groves outside of Rome, Italy (Lazio) 5:30 A.M.

Olioboard #2 – Little German Apartment – Adele Baumann Healey

WINNER!! Olioboard #3 – Breakfast in Paris – Eridania Pauline

Olioboard #4 – Tokyo Suite 2020 – Frances Newman

 Congrats on winning the bid for the Summer Olympics Tokyo! We celebrate with you Around The World with Villeroy & Boch! Wanted to play up to the red and black colors with complementary colors and a bit of rustic warmth, too. Arigato!

Olioboard #5 – Modern Hotel Room in Gotham City – New York City – Tameka Brice

Villeroy & Boch Travel the World – Second Round Directions

ANYONE CAN VOTE!! –  Enter your vote from Olioboards #1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 from above and enter the official entry at the Rafflecopter comment form below.  Only one vote per person PER DAY, but you can get family, friends, etc… to vote once a day too!

Share on your social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc.. and get more people to vote for your favorite!

Awarding the Prizes

The winner will be announced on Stagetecture’s website on Monday, October 28th via the Rafflecopter Entry. Members should check the Stagetecture website to see who the winner is. They WILL NOT be announced on the Olioboard Fan Room timeline.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Villeroy & Boch – Travel the World – Stagetecture Olioboard Inspiration Contest Guidelines

1. 1 entry per person please. One (1) winner will win their choice of 6 mugs in cities (New York, Tokyo, Rio De Janiero, Sydney, London, Paris Rome or Berlin).

2. This competition is only open to adult members (18+ of age) of the Olioboard Fan Room on Facebook.

3. Contest winner’s prize will only be shipped to the continental United States. If you are an international member who wins, you will be responsible for shipping rates from the United States to your international home. The winner should fill out the contact form on Stagetecture.com within 24 hours to claim prize and have items shipped to you.

4. This competition is in no way endorsed, sponsored or connected to Facebook.com or Olioboard.com. This giveaway is arranged between Villeroy & Boch, Stagetecture and the Olioboard Fan Room on Facebook.

 For more Olioboard Inspiration on Stagetecture, click here.

For more Olioboard Inspiration on Stagetecture, click here.

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One of my fondest memories as a child was visiting my grandparents at the family holidays and spending an entire day before Thanksgiving cleaning crystal and shining the silverware! It was a tradition to take out the best crystal from the china closet and sit at the dining room table and clean and polish every piece that we would use for Thanksgiving Dinner!

Now that I have my own family we still take out the china for the holidays but I always thought crystal was for homes that were very traditional and formal, and that definitely is not the Gibson’s!

Last month I showed you how Villeroy & Boch brings you Everyday Elegance Crystal that you can use for any day of the week and it’s casual enough to use anytime but still looks gorgeous with your casual or formal dinnerware. Today I’m excited to bring you a crystal piece that can be used at the dining table or anywhere in your home as home decor!

Each year I try and make a new seasonal inspired mantle on our fireplace. This autumn season I thought it would be nice to use fall colors of rust, orange, copper and gold and feature pumpkins and pinecones to show off Villeroy & Boch’s – Modern Grace Compote. While I could have used it as a serving piece for fruit at the dining room table, I think it looks great on my mantle! What do you think?

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Villeroy & Boch’s Crystal

Whether you are looking for simplicity in your home decor or you’d like to dress up your interiors with the addition of gorgeous crystal, Villeroy and Boch has a wonderful selection of pieces that are versatile for serving and for home decor.

I’m already thinking ahead to Christmas when sparkly ornaments will adorn the Compote beautifully along with our traditional lighted garland and stockings! Villeroy & Boch’s crystal can truly be used anywhere. A front foyer table display or as your dining room tablescape throughout the holiday season would be beautiful as well.

Thank you Villeroy & Boch for the gorgeous Modern Grace Compote, I can’t wait to find new uses for it throughout the upcoming seasons!

Have you entered the Villeroy & Boch – Olioboard Fan Room Travel the World contest yet? Today, October 23rd is officially the last day to enter. Check back on Friday to see the top 5 Olioboard’s to vote on for the grand prize winner announced on Monday, October 28th!

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Disclaimer: I was provided the Modern Grace Compote crystal to review on Stagetecture. All the thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

For the last 10 months Stagetecture has paired with the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group to bring you gorgeous boards that inspire you to decorate, organize, relax or DIY your home in every way possible. After all this time I was excited to pair with Villeroy & Boch to introduce a contest that will be fun for all and one lucky winner will receive a gorgeous Villeroy & Boch set of 6 mugs from their NewWave Caffè Cities of the World line. If you remember in September Villeroy & Boch was first featured on Stagetecture with their Everyday Crystal drinking glasses.

Today I pair with Villeroy & Boch and The Olioboard Fan Room on Facebook

to brings you the

Travel the World – Stagetecture Olioboard Inspiration Contest

Inspired by all of the international cities of the world Villeroy and Boch offers 1 (one) lucky winner – 6 (six) NewWave Caffè Cities of the World mugs. Gorgeous premium porcelain cups represent the most cosmopolitan cities of the world! Beautiful detailing brings a piece of the world to your morning cup of hot tea or coffee.

Where do you get inspired to travel the world?

Images via: Sam Holloway – Olioboard Fan Room Founder

Villeroy & Boch Travel the World – Stagetecture Olioboard Inspiration Contest Directions

1. All Olioboard Facebook Fan Room members should submit their one (1) Olioboard on the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room Album, here.

2. All entrants will enter an official entry at the Rafflecopter comment area – (see below). The entry form shows you all the directions to be eligible for the contest.

• Create an Olioboard that has your choice of Villeroy & Boch NewWave Caffe mugs that represents your favorite city. At least two mugs MUST be used in your board.
• You can obtain the graphics for the mugs on the Villeroy & Boch website here.
• Each contestant must follow all the directions for liking the Villeroy & Boch social media pages and commenting per the instructions on the Raffle Copter entry below.

3. Awarding the Prizes

First Round: The start date is Monday, October 14th, 2013 and closing date for entries is 12:00am EST on Thursday Oct. 24th October 2013.

Second Round: On Friday, October 25th – all members, friends, family can return back to vote through the Raffle Copter entry form to view and pick their one (1) favorite Olioboard out of the five (5) boards on the Stagetecture website.

4. The winner will be announced on Stagetecture’s website on Monday, October 28th via the Rafflecopter Entry. Members should check the Stagetecture website to see who the winner is. They WILL NOT be announced on the Olioboard Fan Room timeline.

Check back on Friday, October 25th when you will vote on the Top 5 Olioboards for the Grand Prize

Official Rafflecopter Entry Form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Villeroy & Boch – Travel the World – Stagetecture Olioboard Inspiration Contest Guidelines

1. 1 entry per person please. One (1) winner will win their choice of 6 mugs in cities (New York, Tokyo, Rio De Janiero, Sydney, London, Paris Rome or Berlin).

2. This competition is only open to adult members (18+ of age) of the Olioboard Fan Room on Facebook.

3. Contest winner’s prize will only be shipped to the continental United States. If you are an international member who wins, you will be responsible for shipping rates from the United States to your international home. The winner should fill out the contact form on Stagetecture.com within 24 hours to claim prize and have items shipped to you.

4. This competition is in no way endorsed, sponsored or connected to Facebook.com or Olioboard.com. This giveaway is arranged between Villeroy & Boch, Stagetecture and the Olioboard Fan Room on Facebook.

For more Olioboard Inspiration on Stagetecture, click here.

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Protecting yourself when renovating

The problem with having a contractor and his crew doing renovations in your home is that these people are considered home workers (rather than, say, guests). They are not technically employees in your home, like a nanny, for example, so you don’t have to arrange for workers compensation coverage. And most contractors carry their own liability insurance to cover themselves and any crew they bring with them. Does that mean you’re off the hook? No. There are two reasons why you may still want to look into additional liability coverage when you have contractors working in your home.

First, the policy your contractor has may be bare bones, meaning a worker who is injured on your property could still come after you for any medical costs (or even punitive damages) not covered under his employer’s policy. Second, some independent contractors have no insurance to begin with. If you fail to ask you could be on the hook for accident and injury costs. In truth you should request a printed copy of your contractor’s policy before any work begins so that you have legal grounds for a grievance should an injured employee come after you rather than seeking coverage under his employer’s plan.

So why is liability insurance important?

Well, for the reasons listed above, for starters. If anyone is injured on your property the insurance will cover part or all of the associated medical costs. However, a good policy will also cover your court costs should you be sued. In short, it will protect you financially in the event that a contract worker on your property suffers from an injury. So now that you’re convinced, how do you go about getting this coverage?

Again, you should ascertain whether or not your contractor already has coverage. If he doesn’t, you should probably go with another vendor. But even if he does and you still want some extra protection, start by talking to your current insurance provider to find out what your homeowner’s policy covers, if you can tack on additional liability (and if there are any restrictions on removing it once the work is complete), and whether or not a beefier umbrella policy is necessary. Then seek out liability insurance quotes from other providers to see if you can get more coverage at a better price or use lower numbers as leverage to secure a discounted rate with your provider of choice. Liability coverage is a good idea any time you have workers in your home, but it’s especially essential when they’re doing a dangerous job.

For more home improvement ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When considering an elderly parent who wishes to remain in their home for as long as possible, or any person with mobility issues, it’s important to understand two key concepts –

• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Activities of daily living are skills that an individual must be able to perform if they are to live independently, and safely.

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Instrumental activities of daily living are skills which are important, but not necessarily essential for an individual to live independently, as there are often services such as home care which can provide the additional required support.

The process of home modification involves making changes and adapting a home so that a person with limitations can perform their ADLs as safely as possible while maintaining a level of comfort which they are accustomed to, and an acceptable degree of independence. The modifications can range from quite simple – such as removing area rugs to prevent falls – to more complex – such as researching options like stairlifts and stairlifts prices, or elevators and elevators prices, or having a specialized consultant come into the home to map out an individual plan of action to make the environment as safe, and functional as possible. The type of modifications will depend, of course, on the person and their specific issues, along with the current physical layout/setup of the home. Investing in the necessary modifications can be very worthwhile, as in many cases the need for institutional care can be significantly delayed, or sometimes even eliminated.

Considerations

Home modifications can help people with disabilities maintain their independence and remain in their home for as long as possible. Modifications are suitable for those who have some degree of mobility and who do not require extensive medical care. Modifications can range from inexpensive to a considerable investment, but, even at the more expensive end of the spectrum, they are almost always a great savings over longterm care.

Specialists who evaluate individuals and their home environments tend to use two lists, based on the key concepts covered above. When consulting against the ADLS list, if there are problems with any of the following, the need for outside assistance and support is considered to be critical:

• Ability to get in and out of bed
• Preparing meals and/or eating independently
• Maintaining Continence
• Bathing and Dressing

When consulting the IADLs list, it can be quite a bit more difficult to determine if an individual has issues unless they are observed on a daily basis. Problems with the following indicate the need for support:

• Doing the shopping
• Performing housekeeping duties
• Using the telephone
• Accessing transportation
• Taking medications properly
• Managing finances

It’s also important to take note of the following areas of the home which are considered problematic, and almost always require changes of some sort:

• Stairways and steps
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Exits, walkways, driveways
• Basements and cellars

After reviewing the specific needs of the individual with disabilities, and the considerations which are present inside their home, you may wish to make the necessary home modifications in order to allow them to remain in their home environment and maintain their independence for as long as possible. Best of luck to you!

This guest post was written by Spencer McKinney for Stairliftadvisor.co.uk, who invite you to visit their website for curved stair lift prices as well as other useful information.”

For more seniors and aging adult topics on Stagetecture, click here.

Installing a security system may seem like a chore, but modern technology has made the installation process much easier. In fact, the set-up process for wireless systems may only take about 30 minutes at the most.

Here are some of the top do-it-yourself methods for setting up home security.

1.    Buy a security alarm kit

Most of the best security packages provide the essential devices for keeping the house secure. These are kits available for a lower price than if someone tried to buy every individual security component.

Standard kits come with a central panel and a number of security sensors to detect movement of the windows and the doors. They don’t often come with state-of-the-art devices, such as glass-break detectors or passive infrared sensors. However, they usually have most of the essential parts that people will need to protect the house.

2.    Use wireless sensors on the doors and windows

Most of the earliest wireless sensors were often unreliable, because they wouldn’t trigger the alarm even when it detected any movement around the doors and windows. The newest alarms are much more effective, thanks to revolutionary changes in wireless technology.

Every wireless alarm system now uses a central panel as a hub to operate the wireless sensors around the house. This panel can detect the battery life for each sensor around the house. This can actually save plenty of energy around the house, because it doesn’t rely on as many wired sensors as the older security system models.

Each sensor only needs a lithium ion battery. Although it may seem like people are spending more than they should spend on batteries, they are actually cutting the amount of electrical energy they use inside the house. The battery sensors also help to prevent a person’s home from experiencing a brownout due to an overuse of power.

Keep in mind that mansion owners cannot spread their wireless sensors too far away. The central control panel of a wireless system usually has a limited transmitting range of about 300 to 600 feet or so. This means that a wireless security system might not be able to detect transmitters from a further range unless someone attaches wired sensors into the central panel.

3. Use a manual home monitoring system

Although many security providers offer a home monitoring system, many of them are unwieldy and expensive to use. Many of the automatic systems could inadvertently use the phone line to call 911 for a false alarm. This could cause people valuable money, especially if people have a bad habit of tripping the alarms and forgetting the passcode.

Thus, people should instead purchase their own home monitoring system. Although it may seem like a hassle to string all the cords to a DVR (digital video recorder), it gives people more freedom to watch everything themselves. Rather than relying on a middleman in a monitoring station, people can watch all suspicious activity around the house from their own monitor.

Image Courtesy: Flickr

Q-See’s monitoring kit especially provides exceptional recording capabilities. The cameras can automatically record anything that triggers the motion detectors, allowing people to replay this material. The cameras may lack microphones, but the DVR still provides a big hard drive to save all the video data for future reference.

Although a do-it-yourself security might seem like a strenuous chore to complete, it pays off it the long run. A well-produced system will provide long-lasting protection to ensure that anyone’s house is secure.

Madison Parker is an expert writer on subjects related to home security systems. Read more on her blog at HomeSecuritySystems.net.

For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Stagetecture has always been a place for finding organization tips to help your home, office, lifestyle and more. From the physical to the emotional, organization encompasses getting your family, your environment, and yourself into a functional space that works.

Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy

I’m excited about the ‘Organize Yourself Online!’ program. It offers a good way to get guidance, and proven steps to assist you and your family get organized.

Organize your Home, Office, Children, Time, and Finances! To get started click here: Organize Yourself!

Receive the Free Bonus Gift Report, 28 Ways to Stop Procrastinating:

Also, read these rave reviews of Organize Yourself Online from former procrastinators who speak from
personal experience …

“I think it’s a great idea and very useful….”-Nicoletta of Hastings on Hudson, New York

Image courtesy of Ikea

Here is what is included:

Get yourself started with a program that looks at your life as a whole, as organization affects each facet of your life. If you’re ready to get started to less procrastinating and more time efficiency and organization, this program is for you.

For more home organization ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

We are counting down the days to my speaking at the Lady Blogger Social Online Conference! The conference runs from July 8 – 10, 2011 and the speakers and agenda have been published here.

I’m excited because the Problogger article that I guest posted for in March of this year – “Choosing a Blogging Niche to Expand Upon for a Lifetime” will be my subject for my speaking engagement.

Saturday, July 9, 2011 – 12:00 Noon Central Time, 1:00 Eastern Time

Choosing a Blogging Niche to Expand upon for a Lifetime

Ronique Gibson goes over tips for helping fellow Bloggers decide on how to choose a niche for their writing/blog, but also choose a topic that is part of them, and is of interest to the point of obsession. Her session is about helping bloggers realize that they should write for themselves, and not an audience, and that you will always be your worst and best critic. Lastly, tips to help Bloggers narrow down a niche and follow a process when choosing to help prevent the pitfalls of being bored with your niche for years into the future.

This is an excellent opportunity for:

• Blogger’s who are just getting started
• Writers who are getting tired of their niche or subject matter
• Blog lovers who want learn how to develop their own voice to start writing
• Professional Blogger’s who need direction after years of writing is getting stale and boring!

While not limited to the above, my presentation will help get you on track for choosing a blogging niche to last for a lifetime.

Sign up today, as space is limited because it is online.

Link to Lady Blogger’s Social Online Conference <= Click Here to Sign Up!

_____________________

To learn more about the conference visit the official site: Social Online Conference

I am going to step to the front of the line right now and say that I need help organizing my important papers! I am

organized in the fact that they all collect in a designated basket at my desk… but if you were to ask me to go to a specific one… ugghh.. not so much!

Organizing important papers has many benefits:

• The obvious is that it will help you find what you need when you need it.
• In an emergency situation – important papers do not need to be hunted for!
• If you can’t organize important papers, what does this say for other aspects of your life? (Just a thought)

Today I was going through YouTube, and found this video on how to organize your important papers.  Not only is it useful, but she SHOWS you how to do it.. isn’t that what we all need?

For more home organization ideas on Stagetecture, click here.