HoliDIY Ornament Contest: Rustic Snowflakes

Just a few more days until Christmas and it's a tight race for competitors in our HoliDIY Ornament Contest. For weeks Facebook fans have been voting for their favorite homemade ornament, and everything will come to a head on midnight Christmas Day. Whose ornament will receive the most votes? Only time will tell.

Before you visit our Facebook page to cast your vote, try making your own ornament! These rustic stars, submitted by our Senior Graphic Designer, Dorothy M., come together in four simple steps (and one of them is waiting for glue to dry!). Add a little whimsy to your holiday decor. Here's how to make them.

What you'll need:

• Paper towel roll
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun

Directions:

Step 1: Cut your paper towel roll into 1/4 inch strips.

Step 2: Glue your strips together in a snowflake pattern. You can try making a few snowflakes with different patterns (remember, now two snowflakes are alike).

Step 3: Wait for glue to dry.

Step 4: Place carefully in tree or around home

We're big fans of these cute ornaments! They're so easy to make, and environmentally friendly! What could be better? If you like them as much as we do, make sure to vote for them in our HoliDIY Challenge! Visit Facebook to cast your vote today!

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Go EcoCHIC With Kelly Acock At The Johnson County Home + Garden Show

Kelly Acock has been in the event and floral design arena for over 11 years, owning and operating a local Kansas City floral and event design firm, the Monarch Flower Company. She is a published writer, educator, speaker, and designer. Kelly has taught national webinars, been featured in several books by Mary Carol Garrity of Nell Hills, Florist Review, and the Kansas City Star. She is also a Creative Contributor to EA Bride Magazine. Kelly is one of the most creative and accomplished event and floral designers in the industry, and we're thrilled to have her joining us at the Johnson County Home + Garden Show.

Part of what makes Kelly one of the most sought after speakers and designers is her overall floral philosophy. She is the creator of reEVENT - the ecoCHIC movement for reUSE, rePURPORSE, and reDESIGNING Special Events. So what exactly is reEVENT and how does that translate to home decor?

"Kindly think before you toss," explains Kelly. "It's not trash if there's a use. Vases from Tabasco and old spice jars, doilies from flea markets, and wood slices from a fallen tree - these are all items that can be utilized in home decor!"

For 2015 Kelly has decided to make not one, but ten resolutions and invites you to pick at least one or two and join her ecoCHIC movement. Check them out below.

1. Recycle more.
2. rePURCHASE more recycled, upcycled, and all-natural items.
3. reEVALUATE - don't purchase anything new unless it has multiple functions and uses.
4. reINVENT - be creative with what you already own.
5. reBOOST - support more local businesses, especially those who recycle.
6. reUSE - think before throwing things in the trash...can this item be recycled, upcycled, or donated?
7. reWORK - hand make more gifts this year.
8. reTHINK - shop Goodwill and other city thrift stores before going elsewhere...the savings are phenomenal and the money goes to a good cause.
9. reSTITCH unused clothing into other functional items such as pillows, kitchen towels, napkins, material flowers, etc.
10. reCLAIM - don't let it go to the dump. Salvage items from dumpster and the curb to lessen trash in our landfills.

Be sure to see Kelly on the Main Stage, presented by IKEA, at the Johnson County Home + Garden Show. She'll be speaking on Friday, February 20th at 12pm and Saturday, February 21st at 11:30am and 7pm.

The Johnson County Home + Garden Show takes over the Overland Park Convention Center February 20 - 22, 2015. With local and national home and garden celebrities and experts as well as hundreds of exhibitors ready to help you with your next home improvement project, this is one can't-miss event. Don't have tickets yet? Get 2-for-1 on Facebook and bring a friend or family member to the show - we can't wait to see you this weekend!

FEBRUARY 20 - 22, 2015.
OVERLAND PARK CONVENTION CENTER

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Garage Gold At The Raleigh Home Show

On the DIY Network series Garage Gold, cameras follow along as Kraig Bantle and his family manage their business: Garage Brothers. For years, this Raleigh-based company has helped Triangle community members clean out their garages, attics, and storage units...for free. So what's the catch? The Bantle family earns a living by selling, recycling, or donating the unwanted items they've cleaned out - one person's trash really is another's treasure!

Members of the Garage Brothers team will appear at the Raleigh Home Show on Saturday and Sunday to share behind-the-scenes insights - plus they'll have a pop-up sale at the show, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Southlight Health.

With spring on its way, now is the perfect time to take a page from the Garage Brothers' book and consider making recycling part of your spring cleaning process. Here are some fun recycling facts from the Garage Brothers' website.

Recycling Facts

• The average American throws away 3.5 pounds of trash per day.
• The average American uses 650 pounds of paper per year.
• One ton of paper from recycled pulp saves 17 trees, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 7,000 gallons of water, 4,200 kWh (enough to heat a home for half a year), 390 gallons of oil, and prevents 60 pounds of air pollution.
• Producing recycled white paper creates 74% less air pollution, 35% less water pollution, and 75% less processed energy than producing paper from virgin fibers.
• Recycling one ton of cardboard saves over 9 cubic yards of landfill space.
• The number of landfills in operation in 1978 was 14,000; in 1988 it was 7,924; in 2001 it was 1,858; in 2006 it was 1,754.
• Recycling one ton of newspaper saves 15 trees.
• Every ton of newspaper recycled saves 4,100 kWh or enough energy to power a TV for 31 hours.
• Recycling a soda can saves 96% of the energy used to make a can from ore and produces 95% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution.
• One gallon of oil, when reprocessed, can generate enough energy to meet the electricity needs of a home for half a day.
• The plastic used in one toner cartridge contains about a half quart of oil.

Don't miss the Garage Brothers team at the Raleigh Home Show. The home and garden event of the season takes over the Raleigh Convention Center February 13 - 15, 2015. Don't have tickets yet? Buy them ahead of time to get the best deals and avoid box office lines - right now you can get 2-for-1 tickets on Facebook.

FEBRUARY 13 - 15, 2015.
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER

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Indianapolis Exhibitor Spotlight: By the Yard Inc.

INDIANAPOLIS EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT

We're excited to have By the Yard Inc. at our Indianapolis Home Show (Jan. 24 - Feb. 2)!

Check out our exclusive interview with this fabulous exhibitor below... 

• Company Website
• www.bytheyard.net 
• Location
• Jordan, MN
• Show Booth Number
• Stop by booth #211! 

• Describe your products
• We sell maintenance-free outdoor furniture and accessories made from recycled plastic milk jugs. Over 180 different styles and designs available in 9 great colors.
• What are your best home or garden tips for this season?
• Invest in a beautiful portable potting bench; a great way to take care of your flower gardens and do your potting.
• What are your featured items this season? 
• We've expanded our Adirondack Chair line and offer the largest variety of styles and endless color combinations.  Also, this season we're offering a 10% discount with a $20.00 delivery. 
• What is your favorite part about the home show?
• Meeting new people!

Don't miss By the Yard Inc. at our Indianapolis Home Show 

January 24 - February 2, 2014 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds! 

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MEET OUR ULTIMATE UPCYCLE CHALLENGERS!

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about one of the coolest new features we’ve lined up for this fall’s Vancouver Home + Design Show: The Ultimate Upcycle Challenge. We’ve brought five of the city’s top DIY and design bloggers on deck to repurpose (or upcycle) one item sourced from Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver’s ReStore. Today, we’re proud to share their identities. We are so excited to work with this team of totally talented ladies!

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