With winter fast approaching, the sun has been rising later, which means by the time you wake up in the morning, it’s nearly pitch black! I don’t know how you feel about this dilemma, but I don’t think stumbling down a long, dark hallway should even be an option. You can easily mitigate this problem by adding a few strategically placed wall sconces in your hallway. Wall sconces perform two functions, one being lighting in your hallway, the other being a stylish wall accent that will help give your home a little bit more personality.

The great thing about wall sconces is you can find them in a bunch of different styles and finishes. If your home decor leans more toward modern and contemporary, no problem! Select a simple sconce with a stainless steel, aluminum or brushed nickel finish with glass accents. Avoid fixtures that feature a lot of ornate detailing, as those tend to be bit more old fashioned. Designer George Kovacs has a great line of modern lighting, manufactured by Minka. If your tastes are more traditional, then you might want to look for a design with ornate detail work in bronze with a bronze or brass finish. Tiffany-style wall sconces are also a great option. These lights feature beautiful stained glass elements that will add a pop of color to your hallway. Whatever your design aesthetic, there’s a wall sconce for you!

While I recommend hiring a licensed electrician to install your wall sconces, there are lighting options for those of you who don’t want to go through the extra trouble. Wall plug sconces make are a good idea if you have a shorter hallway to illuminate. The downside, of course, is hiding the ugly cord. Kichler and Lite Source make some nice wall plug sconces that you may want to consider.

Going “green” is a big trend right now, and for good reason! With rising energy costs, gas prices and the overall deterioration of the environment, it’s important to cut costs wherever you can. When it comes to finding eco-friendly wall sconces, it’s all about the bulbs! While your standard incandescent bulbs tend to be cheaper, it’s definitely a good idea to invest in some compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). These guys can save you money in the long run. If ever American home replaced one single incandescent light bulb with a CFL, we could potentially save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for an entire year! What’s more, CFLs emit a much cleaner, brighter light which will help brighten up your space more effectively. Additionally, you can look for light fixtures with that little “Energy Star Qualified” logo on the packaging and know that you’re making a smart choice. Oh, and just because you’re going green, doesn’t mean you have to skimp on style! There are plenty of fashionable sconces available in this eco-friendly style.

By having adequate lighting in your hallway, you make your home more inviting for holiday guests, you make your trips to and from the bathroom or kitchen much safer and you add style and personality. What more could you ask for in a purchase?

Congrats to Barbara Baker with her comment….

This would be perfect in the nude color (size small)…what an awesome consept. I would have never known they had something like this before..

Please count me in!!!

Thanks to all those who participated. Email will be sent out to the winner and if there is no reply by the 25th October, I will be doing another random draw.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Fancy dining in style until 3am in an upscale restaurant with delectable cuisine such as chocolate souffle and Foie Gras? Well, My Lil Venture has partnered with Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club to make this dining experience possible to one lucky reader!

Located at 24 East 81st Street, New York, Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club was awarded the “Best Interior Design” by Hospitality Design Magazine for 2004. Celebrities like Billy Baldwin, Joan Rivers, Cindy Adams and even former President Bill Clinton have also been spotted dining at the restaurant. Foodwise, with Chef Hok Chin at the kitchen’s helm the cuisine is sure to delight even the most discerning palates. Many will attest to the fact that Bruno Jamais provides a unique menu that has an Asian influence without losing its French integrity.

WIN $50 DINNER GIFT CERTIFICATE

All you need to do is:

• Let me know why you want to win this Gift Certificate.
• Three additional entries – Stumble Upon this post with a review. Please leave your userid in the comment section.
• Contest is open to US shipping addresses only.
• Contest closes on 1st November 2008. One winner will be picked using the Random.org number generator.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Calling all you teenage, middle aged, and mature women who are currently fighting a battle to lose weight. Don’t you all agree that a common area of concern for most women are the triceps or back of the arm simply because it is one of the hardest areas to tone and define? You can now stop hiding behind those baggy sweatshirts or oversized blazers!

Check out FLABuLESS , the first-ever arm hosiery for real women! FLABuLESS’ exclusive compression sleeve is infused with copper ion technology that not only streamlines your curves, but also improves the appearance of your skin, creating a healthy glow and minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Made with breathable and limitless stretchability, wearing FLABuLESS will physically change the way your clothes fit. Take a look at the BEFORE and AFTER effect:

BEFORE

AFTER – DE QUART SLEEVE

BEFORE

AFTER – PLEIN SLEEVE

Amazing, don’t you agree? These garments also provide support for women who have had surgical procedures on their arms, thus minimizing pain from movement, improve blood circulation and encourage an accelerated healing process. You can now feel sexier and comfortable with this wonderful alternative to plastic surgery. FLABuLESS is simply beauty, fashion and health benefits in one.

WIN IT : This giveaway is for all my wonderful readers out there. Thanks to FLABuLESS, one lucky reader will get to win a PLEIN SLEEVE of your size and colour of choice worth $51. Here’s how:

• Visit www.flabulessu.com, pick your choice of colour and size and leave your comment here.
• Stumble Upon this post to earn you 3 additional entries – Please leave your Stumble Upon id in our comment section.
• Contest is open to US shipping addresses only.
• Contest closes on 19th October 2008. One winner will be randomly drawn using the Random.org number generator.

Congratulations to the following 3 winners:

1. Skeet with her comment….

My sis and I live thousands of miles apart, so Between Me And You SISTER -a few things I’ve been meaning to ask, would be a great way for me to catch up on her life!

2. Peggy Gorman who said….

My choice would be Between Me And You DAUGHTER
and I would love to get Between Me And You Son. I enjoy writing and would have loved to have met my grandmother,and know more about my family history.I would like to leave something for my great great grandchildren,they could hol and touch something that I have.

3. Heather C’s choice was…

I’d get “Between Me And You GRANDMA” for my daughter. Thanks!

Thanks to all those who participated. Emails will be sent out to the winners and if there is no reply by the 10th October, I will be doing another random draw.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

I am sure many of us will agree that once we have our own extended family, we tend to have lesss time to keep  touch with our own parents, grandparents as well as brother and sisters. Very often, we even miss out on memorable ocassions or milestones in their lives.

Now, with Sand Dune Publishing’s Between Me and You™ Relationship Keepsake Journal series, family members will be able to learn more about each other through questions you’ve always meant to ask but never did. It’s a great new way to strengthen the family ties.

These Relationship Keepsake Journals looks like simple spiral bound note books that are divided into 6 chapters of different phases in a relationship. Questions are written in the books in a conversational and sometimes humourous manner but general enough in nature so that everyone will be able to answer them. However, if you find that the pages are not relevant to your needs, you can even tear it out! Besides that, you can also add your own questions or photos on the blank pages at the back of the book.

With the Christmas season coming soon, these books will make great gifts for the ones that you care about. You can either give one to be filled out and returned by someone special OR fill one out and give it to that special person in your life.  Choose from a variety of choices available here.

 WIN IT HERE : Thanks to Sand Dune Publishing, 3 readers will get to win a Relationship Keepsake Journal of their choice worth $14.95 each .

Here’s the rules of the giveaway:

• Visit Sand Dune Publishing, choose your favourite journal and let me know your choice in the comment below

• 3 additional entries if you Stumble Upon this post. Let me know your Stumble Upon id in the comment below.

• Contest is open to US shipping addresses only.

• Contest closes on 4th October 2008.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Margie who said….

I would select the large eurobook and make a photobook for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary — they would love it!

AND

Linsey who wrote…

I like the square Eurobook with the black cover. I would love to make a book of my daughter!

Thanks to all those who participated. Emails will be sent out to the winners and if there is no reply by the 23rd September, I will be doing another random draw.

Have you heard of SAM-e yet? For those who have not, SAM-e is a naturally occurring compound that is found in all living things. It’s distributed throughout the human body and it contributes to maintaining mood levels.

As we mature or get older, the level of SAM-e in our bodies will tend to decline. Certain groups of people, including those with low mood and liver conditions, also tend to have lower levels of Sam-E in their bodies.When this happens, taking SAM-e supplement is one of the best alternative to restoring a healthy mood. Besides mood support, it has also been clinically proven to help with joint comfort and liver health.

SAM-e supplment is available over the counter or from retailers or online.  If taken regularly, SAM-e can begin to help in as little as 7 – 14 days. Choose Nature Made SAM-e, the leading distributor of SAM-e supplements in the U.S. Nature Made stands behind all of their products and guarantees that they are made to their purity and potency standards. Nature Made SAM-e Complete’s tablets are also enterically coated to aid with absorption and packaged in blister form to help maintain product freshness.

For a limited time only, Nature Made is offering a $3-off coupon when you try SAM-e. Click here to get your coupon.

Alternatively, Nature Made SAM-e can be purchased online at the following sites:

• Amazon.com
• Brand Discount Vitamins.com
• Costco.com
• CVS.com
• Drugstore.com
• Walgreens.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

How many of you store folders and folders of great and memorable photo in your laptop and do nothing about it? I know I was guilty of doing just that but not anymore! If you nodded your head to my earlier question, I’d recommend you to create a EuroBook with all those wonderful digital photos of yours. After all, they are certainly not memories that you want to forget.

EuroBook is a new service provided by dotPhoto which gives user the ability to create customized, hardbound digital photo books, which in turn can be ordered online and delivered within 6 to 10 business days. EuroBooks are available in more than 200 configurations that vary in sizes, features, and price. What makes Eurobook software stand out from its competitors is the fact that it has a feature that groups photos together by colors, textures and matches background – giving the photo book a professional design look.

The Eurobook software is FREE to download and available at www.dotphoto.com or www.eurobook.us. Another advantage of using this software is you can create the photo books offline without worrying about Internet connections.

ORDER NOW : EuroBooks resemble “coffee table”-style books with high-quality professional binding as well as 135 pound paper. Pricing begins at $9.95 for the 5×5 inch, 26-page book. The popular Classic 8×11 inch EuroBook starts at $19.95. The Deluxe 11.6×11.6 inch EuroBook, which is perfect for special occasions and presentations, starts at $68.95. Pricing is also based on the number of pages and choice of cover material: soft cover, hard cover, linen, premium linen, booklet and faux leather.

Get your Eurobook in 3 simple steps:
• Download the free EuroBook software
• Create your book from your digital photos
• Place your order online

WIN IT : Thanks to dotPhoto, I am giving away two gift codes of up to $100 each for creating Eurobooks to two very lucky readers (one EuroBook each up to $100).

Here are the rules to participate:

• Visit www.eurobook.us and let me know in the comment section below which EuroBook will you spend your $100 gift code on.
• 3 additional entries if you Stumble This Post with a review
• Contest is open to US shipping addresses only
• Winners will be selected using the Random.Org number generator. Contest closes on 17th September 2008.

With the development of modern technology, it is now possible to purchase goods from anywhere in the world. However, sometimes there are certain products that are more suited to their own country of origin than to others and some people may argue that this is the case with outdoor clothing. Take for example, the Bergaus brand of outdoor wear, which was initially designed by Peter Lockey and Gordon Davison, two people with a passion for climbing from the North East of England. As keen and knowledgeable climbers they decided to develop and manufacture outdoor clothing, the type of clothing that would be suitable for people just like themselves – climbers from Britain. They were pioneers in the area as back in 1966 when they first decided to go into business, it could be argued that they became the first suppliers of specifically tailored ‘performance wear’. The added bonus of founding a business upon their hobby meant that they were experts in their field and were able to tailor their outer-wear to their specific needs. This meant that when developing their products, they primarily considered the British climate with all its unpredictable extremes.

Basing their products on their own experience of British weather meant that one of Berghaus’ primary focuses became on layering. With the ever-changing British weather it became essential that outdoor clothing could keep the wearer warm and dry, but could also be removed to help keep the wearer cool. Although many international outdoor clothing producers also utilise layering in their products, they are likely to focus primarily upon their own climate when designing their product specification. Therefore, a piece of outer-wear that is produced in America is likely to have been developed to resist different extremes of cold, warmth and humidity and as a result may not be as effective when worn in a different country. Alternatively, it may be as effective, if not more so due to America’s vast number of extreme climates, but the added features for coping with these climates may mean that it is much more expensive to purchase.

The same can be said for outdoor footwear, Bergahaus have developed their footwear specifically with the British terrain in mind. Generally, the British terrain has a handful of conditions ranging from rocky, grassy, hilly, flat or even boggy, this contrasts the American landscape where all of these terrains are present in addition to desert conditions and areas of extreme cold. Therefore, it is likely that footwear purchased from America has been developed to a different specification and will not be as suitable for someone who hikes solely in Britain as a piece of footwear developed for use on the British landscape.

Despite the fact that many brands of outdoor wear are now manufactured to extremely high standards and contain many modern technologies that not only provide the wearer with optimum comfort, but also help them to achieve optimum performance, it seems that if you intend to trek in the UK then purchasing outdoor wear from a UK based company, such as Berghaus clothing, is the right choice to make. The first reason being that because the company is aware of the climate it is likely that they have tailored their product to meet the demands of that particular climate. The second reason for opting for UK made outer-wear is that their local knowledge means that their footwear will have been specifically designed to meet the needs of the British wearer. And as a final thought, although it could be argued that outdoor clothing from other countries may have a broader range of climates that it can help the wearer accustom to, it is worth bearing in mind that this extra technology is like to cost more, therefore if you only intend to wear your outdoor clothing in the UK, then purchasing an item made within the UK is surely the best choice.