CasaSugar

Casa Quickie: Try Toothpaste

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:15:33 -0700

Out of silver polish? In a pinch? You can use white toothpaste to clean the tarnish off your silver instead! Just run the silver under warm water and work the paste into a foam and then rinse it off. Since the toothpaste is more abrasive than polish, a little goes a long way - you don't need to use much. And, if there are any stubborn black spots in nooks and crannies, you can actually use a toothbrush (an old one) to get rid of them.

How-To: Keep Your Flatware Drawer Tidy

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:00:35 -0800

Over the holidays, some of my friends housesat for us for a few days. When I have someone stay at my house, I try to make it as tidy and welcoming as possible, and one of my go-to tasks is tidying and cleaning the flatware drawer. It's rather disconcerting, in my opinion, to open a drawer, looking for a spoon for your ice cream, and find yourself staring at a messy and crumb-filled flatware drawer.

To see my tips for keeping your flatware drawer tidy, read more.

Start by purging your drawer of all mismatched, mangled, or shabby-looking silverware. Send any decent, but mismatched, silver to a local thrift shop or charity.
Remove any non-silverware items from the drawer. Measuring cups, spatulas, and other kitchen utensils should be placed in a separate drawer or container.
Take out all silverware and give it a good rub-down with this non-toxic polish.
Take out the drawer and clean it thoroughly, removing any spills or stains.
Replace everything and enjoy your newly organized drawer!

One Room Two Ways: Sitting Areas in Silver and Gold

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:00:47 -0800

Silver and gold are perfect colors for decking out your pad for a New Year's Eve party, and you can continue the theme into 2009 by creating a sitting area that echoes those glam metallics.

For my silver seating area, I relied on white and plum tones to offset the blingy silver. The look of this sitting area is refined, feminine, and warm, even though the colors are cool. My favorite piece, by far, is the Timber Table ($235), whose faux bois pattern looks surprisingly fresh when it's interpreted in lucite.

To go for the gold, read more.

The more masculine look of this sitting area is due to the rich chocolate browns. The Leucos Stacking C Floor Lamp ($236), is a truly crave worthy piece, with stacked blown glass cylinders assembled to create a luminous centerpiece for your sitting area.

Inspired: Jean Harlow

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:00:59 -0700

Film actress Jean Harlow was America's sex symbol of the 1930s. Also known as the "Platinum Blonde" and the "Blonde Bombshell," this glamorous, gorgeous woman embodied Hollywood glamour. Starring in such films as Red Dust and Platinum Blonde, she appeared onscreen beside leading men Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and James Cagney.

This actress, whose personal life was marked by tragedy, was absolutely magnetic onstage and onscreen, and the immense force of her personality is still evident today, with stars such as Gwen Stefani emulating her look (Stefani, in fact, played Harlow in The Aviator). And of course, we know what Nicole Ritchie named her little girl. As a small homage to this glamorous woman, I thought I'd put together a Hollywood-Harlow-worthy look.

To see my room, read more.

I kept the color palette simple, emphasizing whites and silvers, while laying down a cool, deep blue wool rug, which would ground the room. With a splash of teal in the pillows, which picks up on the soothing blue tone, the rest of the room is left to shine with mirrors, chandelier, silver, and white tufted leather sofa and ottoman. I also added a few elements from the animal world, including an elephant side table and a silver stag antler wall hanging. Jean Harlow was nothing if not a fighter, and I wanted these more "wild" elements to translate her amazing spirit.

Source and Source

Recipe For Clean: Silver Polish

CasaSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:00:01 -0700

When getting our homes so fresh and so clean, don't overlook your silverware. If you've assembled your home cleaning kit you'll have most of the ingredients for this Recipe For Clean. Use it to make your silverware shine like the top of the Chrysler building.

Supplies:

3-in. square of aluminum foil
1 tbsp. of salt
1 tbsp. of baking soda
1 cup of warm water

To learn the steps of this recipe, read more.
Here's how:

Dissolve the salt and baking soda in the warm water.
Then, submerge the foil and your silverware in the solution.
Let it sit for one hour.
Rinse the silver under the faucet, and then wipe it dry with a cloth.

Or . . .

Rub any tarnished spots on your silverware with a non-gel toothpaste (white paste kind) with a soft cloth, and rinse.
Source

Casa Quickie: Easy Silver Cleaning

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:04:44 -0800

Do you have a silver piece that’s heavily tarnished and doesn’t have a lot of monetary or sentimental value? Then try this easy option for getting it clean with baking-soda toothpaste! Just take a cloth and scrub the silver free of tarnish with the baking-soda paste. Most silversmiths, jewelers, and collectors will discourage this method because baking soda is abrasive and may leave tiny scratches on the surface of silver, but if you've been avoiding using that thrift-store silver platter because it's tarnished, take a chance and use this method. I've used it on some old bracelets and it's done wonders.

Source

Roundup: Silver Ornaments

CasaSugar — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

I love to add a few new ornaments to my holiday tree each year, and this season I'm really loving the metallic sheen of silver baubles. One of my favorites is this set of silver swirl ornaments. They have a great, antiqued look, and would look gorgeous against the dark green needles of your evergreen.

Are you loving the look of these silver ornaments? Check out my other favorites below.

Gift Guide: Silver Baby Frames for Parents-to-Be

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:41 -0800

As you may know, the Sugar Network recently welcomed lilsugar to the team. To show them how excited we are for their arrival, we've decided to kick off the CasaSugar gift guides with gifts for new parents or parents-to-be.

I can't tell you how many parents I know (ahem) who never got around to making a baby photo album for at least one of their children, or framing their baby's first photo. This holiday season you should make it easy for the expecting or new parents in your life by giving them an elegant silver baby frame that they can cherish for years to come. You can make it a lot easier for them by including a gift certificate to a digital online print shop (Kodak, Shutterfly, etc.) with the frame, or by printing and including a photo of their wee one with the frame.

To make this a lot easier for you, I've selected several silver baby frames at various price points that you can give to your favorite parents-to-be this holiday season.

kate spade Silver Elephant Frame, Blue - $40.00	Reed & Barton Bunnykins Frame - $60.00
Cunhill Sterling Silver Frame - $164.00

Source

Found It! Blair Waldorf's Silver Ottoman

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:30:01 -0700

In last week's episode of Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf's silver ottoman cube caught my eye. It's a bit glitzy for my taste, but I think it's fun for a young co-ed like Blair and I love its quilted upholstery. Wondering where it's from? Then read more.

It's the Brocade Home Silver Metallic Cube ($199). What do you think? Do you like it? To be honest, I'm really swooning over her artwork!

Love It or Hate It? Silver Pendant Lamp

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:57:09 -0700

This 16" x 16" Silver Pendant Lamp ($225) for sale at Inside Avenue sort of resembles a metallic fur ball, but I think it would really shine in the right setting. What do you think?

Michael Aram Twig Snowflake Christmas Ornament - $29.00	Glass Bird Ornament - $3.50
Metal Angels with Bells Set of Four - $11.80	Etched Mercury Vases - $12.00
3-D Snowflake Ornaments - $8.95	Peace Sign Ornament - $3.95
Silver Swirl Ornaments - $18.00	Barneys New York Old World Standing Deer - $38.00
Silver-Plated Sleigh Bell Christmas Ornament - $38.00	Silver Origami Crane Placecard Holders - $24.00
Horchow Sterling Silver Two Turtle Doves Christmas Ornament - $50.00	Holiday Lane Christmas Ornaments, Tube of 6 Silver Snowflake Balls 3" - $17.00
Kotte Decoration, Ornament - $2.99	Barneys New York Big Apple Ornament- Silver - $44.00
Silly Dog Ornament - $10.00	Orbit Ornament - $4.95