Tag: clean my silhouette blinds

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New Beginnings for 2013: Prepare for a Fresh New Year with Endless Opportunities

The excitement of starting a New Year in 2013 is contagious! We are ready for changes, some we will control, and others that will turn into opportunities. Our challenge will be to recognize those chances to change our lives and surroundings. During our first few months we often focus on our interiors as it is wintry in many areas of the country, and often very cold outside, depending on the location you call home.

We have mentioned the suns’ placement in the atmosphere and its affects on our interiors in past blog posts. It cannot be stressed enough as to how this plays on our homes’ interiors. Interior furnishings take a beating from the sun when the windows are not covered with some sort of treatment. Most people consider privacy and insulation as the reason for window shadings. It goes much farther than that. Our blog post: Golden Sunshine….https://camilywand.com/?p=776  details information on different types of window shadings.

We want you to realize that ANY SUNLIGHT will cause fading of wood floors, furnishings and fabrics over time. This includes sunlight from the north, south, east and west. Often people think that northern outside light will not have this affect. Even when the sunlight doesn’t come in through the windows, there will be sunlight damage. Our sun is now moving north from the Tropic of Capricorn heading toward the Equator (on March 21st) and the Tropic of Cancer (on June 21st). With our holiday celebrations, people often miss that crucial sun event –  the Winter Solstice on December 21st.

When the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer in June, it has come as far north as it will. We are able to watch the suns’ movement by paying attention to the sunrises and sunsets in relation to the landscapes outside of our homes. From our Camily offices, we look at the sunset patterns as the sun sets behind our Rocky Mountain Front Range. The Tropic of Cancer is located at the latitude that goes through the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, the Bahamas, Africa and India. That is south of the continental United States, so none of us in the lower 48 states will ever have sunlight coming directly into our rooms from true north. But even when your rooms face north and you have awning protection outside, there will be fading in your interiors unless you have some great UV protection at your windows.

We suggest a product by Hunter Douglas called Silhouettes® to give you excellent UV protection while you’re able to enjoy your views. (The other products that provide similar UV protection are Luminettes®, Pirouettes®, and Nantuckets™.) They generally give you more than 85% UV reduction when they are in the open position with the shading covering the glass. This goes a long way to preserving your floors and furnishings  from sun fading and sun rot.

The shadings that provide so many great features also attract bugs and debris because the bugs love the light and move into the vanes to bask in the sun. They often die there, needing to be removed as soon as possible. They leave spots if they are left in the shading too long. We have invented CamilyWand™ to solve the sticky bug removal problem. It is the only commercial tool specifically developed for that purpose. It is an easy, safe, inexpensive solution for removing the pests that are attracted to the shadings.

As you plan your 2013 home improvement projects or plans for new construction, consider all the ramifications of your window covering solutions. We’ve passed through the short daylight hours and are heading toward longer daylight until mid-June. We have answers to your window covering concerns, and how they benefit the preservation and investment in your home furnishings through your selection of your shadings. We are here to help you.

 

 

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Holidays, Celebrations and Longer Days make Happy Positive Feelings

Amidst our Holiday Celebrations, we have many things to be grateful for. We’ve lived through the Winter Solstice on December 21st  and have enjoyed the Christmas and other religious celebrations this past week and month. It is a time of celebrations, times with friends and family or wonderful times to take time for each of us. We’ve taken time away from work, relaxed, and took time to reflect on our blessings and gifts.

According to the Mayan calendar, some believed the world would end on December 21st. People met at Chichen Itza, Mexico, and waited for the 5125 year calendar cycle to end.  When there was no apocalypse, those believers began to live in the next Mayan calendar.

That same day the Sun reached the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. It had been heading south, making the southern hemisphere enjoy summer, and is now heading north to give us longer daylight hours and in 6 months the longest daylight day of the year. It is important to watch the suns’ patterns to see how the light will affect your heat in your living environment.

I suggest that my clients make note of the areas where the sun hits their windows and realize that it is the reverse of the sun patterns we have just experienced as the sun headed south before the Winter Solstice. It is like a mirror image. The suns position on November 21st, 2012 will be similar to the one that will happen on January 21st, 2013. It continues on in that fashion until June 21st and then starts it way from the Tropic of Cancer to go south to the southern hemisphere again. And so it continues… on this cycle.

The window covering industry is continually inventing new types of blinds and window shadings to optimize views, energy, privacy and beauty. One of my favorite window shadings is the Silhouette® blind from Hunter Douglas. There are shadings with other attributes that fall into similar effeciencies like Nantuckets™, Pirouettes®, Vignettes®, Luminettes®, Shangri – Las® and Illusions®. Some of these are from various other companies. They are so beautiful, with the light changing during the day, that they are very popular shadings in many homes.

The light changes, especially in the Silhouettes®, attract insects and bugs into the tubular openings. They often get stuck, not finding their way out. We have invented and patented a tool to  remove the bugs and debris: CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™. It’s sticky tip gently and safely grabs the offensive insects, so you can remove them from the opening of the shading. This protects your views and investment in the shadings. The bugs will “cook” in the shadings if not removed. Should they stain the shading, the problem is greatly multiplied.  So it is a good idea to extract them as soon as you see them, rather than waiting. Permanently stained blinds require other more expensive removal systems, and may never become clean and looking like new again.

As we attack the problem, it is important to know the suns patterns, as well as plan ahead to your special celebrations and various holidays. For our present holiday time, the sun is further south, so there is less chance of doing major harm than when the sun is closer to us in the northern hemisphere. It would be best to tackle your bug removal, should you have an issue, when it is not as hot, to save your investment.

We hope these ideas that we’ve presented in our blog posts in 2012 will help you have increased joy in your living environment. We wish you a very Happy New Year and the Best of Everything in 2013!

 

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Are you having Presents or Presence During the Holidays?

As we celebrate the holiday season, how are you spending your time? Are you present in each moment, treasuring the gifts the season brings, or you running here and there – not having time to slow down and enjoy your life?

There are ways you’re able to enjoy both the special times we have this time of year and have special times at your home and personal events. Take the time to make your living spaces, both inside and out, a cheerful place to enjoy. If you put up Christmas trees, you are bringing nature into your home to treasure this special time of year when people celebrate deeply. Simply decorated or done with a theme is always a great way to show joy and peace inside your home. Prepare the area around the tree, so you may view it clearly to realize the spiritual presence that the tree represents.

If you have window shadings like Silhouette® sheer shadings by Hunter Douglas where you may see light from the inside or outside when they are covering the glass, be sure they are clean and free from debris. Our CamilyWand™ is the simple tool that will remove bugs or debris from inside the vanes, so you’ll be able to relish the beauty of your tree or holiday decorations without marring the view with unwanted critters. It is easy to use with its sticky tip that grabs the unwanted debris quickly and easily from blinds like Silhouettes®. When you’ve used our Sticky Bug Removal Tool and cleaned your area, you’re ready to prepare your tree or decorative celebration of the season.

Making your home inviting as you move through the season, take time to have that cup of tea, or a relaxing snack and enjoy your surroundings. Mentally go to a special place and relish the fact that we are here in a wonderful country and have many blessings to be thankful for. Bring your thinking to the moment now where you are able to consider all the special things that are in your life.

As you select gifts and presents for your loved ones, keep the spirit in mind. Help them to understand the many beautiful parts of our lives that we often take for granted.

If it were springtime, we might say to take time to smell the roses. Now during this holiday season, take time to reflect and enjoy each moment. Feel the presence of now and have a very blessed and wonderful holiday season.

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Warm Glow from our Windows using Specialty Illumination as We have Earlier Dark time Hours

We’re all getting an early holiday gift as we will have longer daytime light starting on December 21st, four days before Christmas. The sun will reach the Tropic of Capricorn that day and start it’s northward treck, giving us longer daylight hours as it moves toward the equator.

We have many ways of accenting our windows when our shadings, blinds or shutters are closed in the dark to make our living spaces have that warm glow and feel comfy and cozy. Starting with the outside, colorful lighting on deck railings, or framing the outside of the window will provide a soft feeling inside the home. The light will seep in through whatever type of shading you have to cover the glass.

As an example, the Silhouette® types of blinds, which allow a filtered view of the outside when used in the down position with the vanes open, allow light to enter the room while having insulative protection. The vanes may be left open allowing different levels of light to enter the room from the outside. During the day, that would be daylight. But at night,  imagine colorful holiday lighting around your windows, on a nearby tree or framing the outside casing of your window. What a beautiful sight that would be when entertaining relatives or guests during this festive time.

You’ll want to be sure that your Silhouette® shadings are free from plant particles, debris and bugs so these festive views are not marred by pesky critters. We at Camily, LLC have invented and patented a tool to easily remove them before you have your parties. It is CamilyWand, a tool comprised of an extension pole with a removable, washable sticky CamilyTip on the end. When inserted in the side opening of the shading, it grabs the bugs or debris, allowing you to remove them from your window shadings and protect your investment and the beauty of the blinds. When you have your blinds covering the glass, either in the open or closed position, you are saving substantial energy. Our product will also work on Pirouettes®, Luminettes®, Nantuckets™, Shangri-La®, Illusions and other similar products which allow the view, insulation and privacy protection at the same time.

When you consider interior lighting to emphasize a window or special item you have in your home, there are simple, easy and relatively inexpensive ideas to implement to have that warm glow inside your home. Incandescent lighting, basically lighting from table and floor lamps, provides a soft, warm glow. When placed by a window shading, you’ll notice the details of the Silhouette® vane placement and the soft feeling from the fabrics with their “S” curve orientation. It gives a very warm feeling to a room.

Another simple way to get that feeling is to use a spotlight from the floor, placed behind a plant or furniture, aimed upward to illuminate your shadings and decorative window treatments. These specialty types of “lamps”, or as we routinely call them – bulbs- are available at lighting stores. They come in a wide spectrum of color – from warm to cool – depending on your preference.

We hope you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities in your home to soften the look of your window treatments, provide focal interest and give your rooms that warm glow for your holiday celebrations.

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Wonderful Decorating Ideas on How to Beautify your Home during the Holidays

Our Thanksgiving holiday has passed and we now turn to counting our blessings in celebrating our Christmas, Hanukkah and other religious holidays in December. Beautiful snow has arrived in many locations in the northern hemisphere. With our shortened daylight hours, we turn toward our fireplaces, enjoy warm drinks and comforting foods. It’s a wonderful time to gather around the fire and cozy dining tables to enjoy time with friends and family, or cuddle up with a good book or great entertainment in our homes.

We prepare our comfort foods, decorate our homes with ideas following family traditions and spruce up our homes for our holiday celebrations and get togethers. Some of you will be completing decorating projects and last minute touch ups in your homes. Windows are focal points in our living spaces, so it is important to have them looking their best. Blinds like the Hunter Douglas Silhouette® shadings may need a touch up cleaning. Or you may have high areas in your home that need a quick wipe to remove debris. Our CamilyWand™ is just the ticket for those chores. It is a tool made up of an extension pole with a perpetually sticky tip (when clean) that grabs bugs and debris from the interior tubes of Silhouette® window shadings. You’re also able to pick up and remove light weight items from inaccessible places.

We have a demonstration video on our about page on our website www.camilywand.com and several videos on You Tube at CamilyWand8. Take a look to see what you’re able to do with our great tool. It will come in very handy as you’re working through your holiday preparations for sprucing up your home.

With your cleaning chores complete, you’ll have time to enjoy the next month and all the joys it brings to our lives. I especially enjoy the lights around town and the opportunity to watch other areas of the country in their celebrations with my facebook friends. There are so many creative people out there in the global arena, it is fun to enjoy the holiday festivities. Getting ahead of the game so you have time to enjoy the season is just the best thing to do.

Adding small unique touches to your home holiday is a fulfilling way to enjoy this unique time of year. Our special, traditional and sentimental decorations bring wonder to our lives and celebrations. As we move through these enjoyable times, we realize how lucky we are to live where we do and have the opportunity to count our blessings and share our love and caring for others. Enjoy your holiday celebrations!

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Feel gratitude, blessings and kindness during this Thanksgiving time

During this time of Thanksgiving and throughout the year, it is important to have gratitude and think of all the things for which we are thankful.

We are often guilty of forgetting the little things we do on a daily basis, which are unique to humans, which were not available to our forefathers,  and which are often taken for granted.  To do this, counting our blessings and feeling gratitude is a rejuvenating act and will improve a challenging situation and lift our spirits. Some people pray, some meditate, some spend time in nature, some write a gratitude journal, and some help others.

Be thankful for important and seemingly little things in your life.

  • We are able to breathe air, allowing survival.
  • We have many hours in a day to accomplish whatever is desired and needed.
  • We have families and friends to share time, interests and fun.
  • We have shelter to enjoy, preserve and maintain.
  • We have health to treasure, realizing that many others struggle with health issues; possibly our concerns are not so terrible.
  • We have furnishings in our homes to use, enjoy and maintain.
  • We have daily choices to determine how we live our lives.
  • We have freedoms given to us by our Constitution.
  • We have vast opportunities
  • We are very fortunate to live where we’re able to fearlessly fulfill and enjoy our dreams.

We  thank you: all of our CamilyWand™ clients, and all of you who read our blog posts.  We are grateful to have invented our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™.  It is designed to remove bugs and debris from Silhouette® window shadings/blinds and lightweight debris or things from inaccessible places.

Our Blessings abound. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, reflecting on abundance!

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New white powder, skiers gold, storms bringing feet of snow to the Rocky Mountains

Ski season is starting in Colorado! Bring on the snow for the skiers who flock to Colorado and for the water to fill the aquifers that supply water to us coloradans. We got a nice fall snow storm in the Colorado Rocky Mountains this past November weekend, to help signal the start of ski season. People will travel from all over the world to enjoy our snow and winter time.

If you are traveling to Telluride in the San Juan mountains, or Aspen, Beaver Creek and Vail in the central Colorado Rockies, and the many other ski resorts, you’ll find many things to do besides skiing. There are other snow sports and activities, such as ice skating and snowboarding,  educational opportunities and shopping. Each town is different and has developed its own style, so it is fun to check out other areas when you’re in Colorado. Some resorts have opportunities to take chair lifts to the top of the mountains even if you’re not a skier. The views up there are spectacular and make you feel like you’re at the top of the world. That’s always the greatest feeling whichever mountain you’re visiting.

There are beautiful hotels, condominiums, bed and breakfast inns and many other places to stay after a hard day of skiing. Some are actually on the slopes of the resorts. Ski in or ski out right at your door is a favorite thing to do. Apres ski parties and dinners are always special.

Hotels and condominiums are often beautifully decorated. They use top of the line furnishings and window shadings to take advantage of views. You’ll see Silhouette® window shadings, shutters and wood blinds on many of the windows. Some rooms will have Pirouettes®, Luminettes®, Nantuckets™, Vignettes® or Shangri-La shadings to cover their windows. To protect the window shading investments, we have invented our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to remove bugs and debris from the tubular spaces between the vanes. These upscale window shadings deserve to be maintained to keep them from becoming stained from bug spots and other unactractive insects. The shadings filter the light, give you a view and insulation at the same time and soften the light in your rooms. They attract bugs during certain times of the year and the bugs aren’t able to get out of the shadings. Our CamilyWand™ will remove them easily and safely to protect your shadings, keeping your shading  investment looking like new.

You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy decorating and design in a different way at the ski resorts. Regardless of which town you visit, you’ll find interesting architecture and retail offerings that often differ by the specific town. Vail is the most european of them all, with a Swiss/Austrian mountain look throughout the downtown. Many of the shops have adopted that feel and offer european items for sale. Breckenridge is more rustic, somewhat of an old mining atmosphere in my opinion. They have a fantastic ice sculpture show in the middle of winter, where ice carving artists from all over the world hone their craft in amazing art works. Beaver Creek is a newer area, upscale as well. Aspen draws musicians in the summer to the Aspen Music Festival and is famous for the celebrities who visit and live there. Each town is unique, offers special and fun events for everyone, along with the skiing emphasis. They are all fun to visit and worth a trip to Colorado.

If you’ve never been here, the majesty of the mountains is breathtaking. When you move west from the eastern plains and the front range of Colorado, majesty awaits wherever you look. Besides the ski slopes, we have the huge Lake Dillon and Grand Lake, many rivers and streams which attract fishermen and boaters. Those lakes are nestled in the mountains. The Keystone resort is close to Lake Dillon, so you can take advantage of the water views one day and skiing the next. Steamboat Springs is nearer the Grand Lake area; both are interesting and fun to visit.

We look forward to a great snow season, bringing white powder snow to the mountains and water for the rest of the state. Winter will bring magical beauty, frosting our green mountain forests with snow and gorgeous views. We hope you’ll be able to see it and enjoy it as much as those of us who love living here.

 

 

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Celebrate evenings, natures bounty, bringing cheerful solutions into your homes interiors

Spreading the sun into our homes as it sets earlier outside is a very restorative solution to the doldrums that often plague people when there is less daylight. There are many ways to celebrate the shorter daylight hours for the 6-7 week period in the fall when we lose daylight savings time. This year, we are in our first week of different daylight time. The mornings are gorgeous and begin earlier, a very refreshing feeling. Rising earlier allows us to take advantage of more daylight at the beginning of our days, to offset the earlier darkness in the late afternoon.

We will have less sunlight until December 21st, when the winter solstice arrives. Our holidays are upon us and we are occupied with celebrations, either small intimate gatherings and pastimes, or larger festivities, including relatives and friends. Our focus shifts more to the inside of our homes, having cozy and rejuvenating times.

Many of us struggle with the extreme changes, as it seems to happen very quickly. We’re outside, getting fit, enjoying our outdoor hobbies, having fun in the early evening hours all summer and all of a sudden when fall arrives on Sept 21st, we slowly notice the changes less daylight brings. There are many things we’re able to do to alleviate the missing daylight hours and have cheerful evenings inside our homes.

Lighting is one of the easiest ways to improve the comfort and ambience in our interior spaces. Concentrating on lighting only the spaces you occupy in the evening saves electricity use.  Having the correct type of “light bulb” will help us psychologically. Warm and cool “light bulbs” in a variety of spectrums are available, especially at specialty lighting stores. We have incandescent, halogen, energy saver and many choices to take care of any personal preference, task lighting and general room needs. Simply, floor and table lighting provides a warmer atmosphere and more cozy feeling than overhead lighting either in our ceilings or lighting fixtures that hang from the ceiling. Fires in our fireplaces invite warmth and closeness as another way to bring light into our rooms.

There are specific lighting fixtures available for people who become depressed during the wintertime, due to lack of sunlight hours. Some people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition where they have trouble functioning when they don’t get enough “sunlight.” Spending time under lighting designed to mimic the sun more closely than regular interior lighting is helpful to many people. Medical sites like the Mayo Clinic have helpful ideas and possible solutions to help those who struggle psychologically during the these times.

Window shadings like the Silhouette® blinds by Hunter Douglas and similar shadings by other companies will help your feeling of comfort as you enjoy your evening hours in your home. They are fabric shadings, which promote a softer, more sensuous feeling than mini blinds or hard vertical blinds. When the room feels soft and inviting, we feel better. The Silhouette® product offers softness, insulation, privacy and filtered views, all at the same time. They have square, tubular, horizontal openings which provide wonderful light refraction and insulation at the same time. Often bugs find their way into those openings and are difficult to remove. We have invented the CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to solve the pesky bug problem. It’s sticky tip grabs unwanted critters, effortlessly removing them from the blind. If left in the shading, bugs can do serious damage to the shadings, ruining a beautiful product and investment. It is available at our shop here at CamilyWand™.

Bringing nature inside during our months of shortened daylight hours is a wonderful, psychologically uplifting feeling. Some people “winter” come of their tender outdoor vegetation by bringing it inside their homes when the temperatures dip. Some build interior window boxes where they have cheerful greenery and flowers inside all late fall and winter. They are extending the growing season from spring and summer to year around.

Music therapy is another solution to use in these circumstances. There are many music therapy professionals who teach how music affects our psyches, therefore changing our happiness levels. Molly Lord, of Tuned-In Productions, is an excellent speaker on this subject. She had advanced training in behavior disorders, which helps her in her music therapy offerings. There are many sources available for support in this area.

As we move into the holiday season, remember these ideas to soften the blow of less sunlight and daylight in our lives. They will help you feel better and allow you to embrace the time differences, turning less daylight hours into positive action and feelings.

 

 

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Wonderful Daylight: How do you use your valuable time in the evenings?

Mezmerizing fall foliage, dipping temperatures and our upcoming Daylight Savings Time change all have an effect on our sunlight. We enjoy and thrive on the energy and light from the sun. On November 4th we will turn our clocks back one hour, resulting in darkness and sunlight each coming 1 hour earlier. Many people appreciate the earlier daylight to help them wake up easier. Our children will catch school buses in the daylight. Our evenings darken sooner, so there seem to be more hours to work on inside home chores or projects. We have longer evening time to enjoy those inside activities.

We will continue to lose daylight for the next 7-8 weeks as the sun moves south. On December 21st, the winter solstice, the sun will reach the Tropic of Capricorn, its southern boundary, and begin moving north. So this is a great time to plan those inside activities and parties. Use your home lighting to bring cheer and comfort when the sun goes down. Halloween will be here before the time changes, children will be trick-or-treating right around sundown. The ghosts and goblins will have the safety of some light, depending on when they visit their neighbors.

When those little tricksters arrive, homeowners are able to use their tilt and turn type of blinds to their advantage when they want to see what is happening outside. If we have wood or metal blinds, we’re able to leave them open to see the trick-or-treaters. If we have Silhouette® shadings we can hide from the trick-or-treaters by having our vanes in the open position when the blinds are covering the glass. (There is a previous blog post titled Cooler Temperatures Ahead:… explaining shading advantages.) If our lights are out in our homes, those little ghosts and goblins won’t see us watching them when they come to the door.

Spiders, bugs and debris often collect in our Silhouette® shadings. This would be the perfect time to leave spiders in the vanes until after Halloween has passed and before Daylight Savings Time has ended for this year. The first part of November would be a good opportunity to remove the bugs, spiders  and debris with our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™. It is a safer method than other methods in collecting the unwanted pests on it’s sticky tip and bringing them out of the tube type openings of the shades like Silhouettes®, Pirouettes®, Vignettes®, Luminettes®, Shangri-Las® and Illusions. It can grab webs, light weight items, dirt, paper and other things from high or inaccessible places, as well.

When daylight savings time ends, it will be better to do chores that need daylight as early as possible in the day. Though there is evidence that people trying to monitor and take advantage of sun times started with the Romans and was discussed by Ben Franklin, modern daylight savings time use is credited to New Zealands George Vernon Hudson in 1895. We began using it in World War I. It is typically used in the northern hemisphere, largely North America and Europe. There are a few places in South America, Africa, Australia and all of New Zealand that also use it.

There are many ideas and theories that people use to justify changing our clocks back and forth during the year, some practical,  and some economic. The farmers’ advantages are great, and one of the most logical explanations for shifting our clocks. I enjoy the combination of the earlier daylight and the longer days as the sun shines in the northern hemisphere longer during those times. At the same time, I do certain chores and hobbies (inside projects) in the lower light times, thinking of it as a nesting, resting and rejuvenating time. Give these ideas some thought as we move toward our cool weather holidays and winter time.

 

 

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Beautiful Views: Are you Protecting your Valuable Silhouette Investment from Bugs?

Beautiful Views and Silhouette® Window Shading investments go hand in hand when it comes to choosing “hard” treatments for your home. (In the window covering industry, we tend to notate the products that cover the glass on your windows as hard treatments, and consider draw draperies, side panels, cornices and valences soft treatments.) The advantage of putting hard treatments on your windows is to get some immediate protection from the sun, get privacy and get insulation. Often when people have recently purchased a home, they prefer to purchase the hard treatments first and buy the draperies and soft treatments after the glass has been covered.

Seeing fantastic views with Silhouettes® make such a wonderful solution to your window coverings that many people use them in their homes. Because so many people have exceptional views, the Silhouette® Window Shadings by Hunter Douglas are their favorite choice to preserve their views,  and get privacy and insulation simultaneously. They have become another solution to the treatments which had traditionally used traversing sheers and over draperies, that people drew closed in the evening. The sheers gave people some privacy during the day. When it got dark outside, people would draw the draperies closed for privacy and more insulation.

The Silhouettes® actually serve a similar purpose like the sheers on a rod.  They allow you to see a filtered view, looking toward the light. People always see to the place of more light. In other words, during the daytime, if your Silhouettes® are in the down open position, you will see outside because there is more light out there. You don’t typically see into homes during the day unless you are very close (outside) to the glass. The situation reverses in the evening. Since it is dark outside at night, people will see into your windows if you have your Silhouettes® in the down open position, when your interior is lit. To close, rotate the vanes 1/4 turn, then people won’t see into your living space.

What the inventors of the Silhouette® have done is make large air pockets between the front and back, top and bottom of the tubular spaces, where air and light are trapped when the shading is drawn down and the vanes are in the horizontal (open) position. It is a great insulator with the vanes either open or closed, as I discussed in the post: Golden Sunshine…. https://camilywand.com/?p=776.  The light is so captivating that all sorts of bugs, flies and spiders are attracted to the light, get inside the long space and cannot find their way out before they dry up. There has not been a professional tool out there to safely and easily remove the pests until we invented and brought our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to the market. It is an extension pole with a very tacky or sticky tip on the end which will attach to bugs and debris, to protect your blind from damage. This is the answer to those who want to know How to Get Bugs out of Silhouettes.

Silhouettes® are truly an investment in beauty and energy savings. When I stand in front of my Silhouettes® in my home, I’m able to actually feel the temperature change when it is very hot or cold outside, as I raise or lower my shadings. To be able to feel that is amazing and important to energy savings. That savings offsets heating with our furnaces and cooling with our air conditioners. The beautiful Silhouettes® also add resale values to your home, as most other shadings do not do. When you consider the savings in energy and increased resale value, you realize that your original investment in them is worthwhile.

Aesthetically, the Silhouettes® come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. They will cover a window up to 144″ or 12′ wide. Motorization is available.  The color range is continually increased to serve any application you may have. Many of the vanes have textures and patterns in them, which provides another level of interest. So if you enjoy the idea of owning Silhouettes® in your home to have your view, insulation and privacy in the same treatment, give them a try. We’ve provided the answer to the sticky, bug removal problem; you’ll be able to keep them as good as new if you protect them from insects. We have an offer of FREE SHIPPING  this month on our newsletter coupon at https://tinyurl.com/8dvh5kn.

Each month we give you new and different ideas in our newsletter. You may learn design, decorating and practical cleaning tips by signing up for our newsletter in the adjacent box where it says: Join our Mailing List. I not only discuss CamilyWand, I give you the benefit of my 40+ year design career and my prior design degree from the University of Wisconsin. You’ll hear about interesting ideas, people and experiences. Come enjoy the ride with me!

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Golden Sunshine – Warmth, Beauty, Light & Heat to Enjoy in our Homes

We have a wonderful, beautiful and light force in the energy of the sun, which many of us take for granted.  We wake up in the morning, and it’s beautifully sunny; or cloudy, with potentially life saving moisture.  We plan our days around our outside weather patterns. Inside of our homes, we often do not consider how those temperatures and sun energy affect our heat and the force of the sun as it streams through our windows.

Realizing I’m not an expert in weather or energy, I write from a long time interior designers point of view. I’m sharing the effects of the suns energy on our lives, more specifically on the interior of our homes and offices. Moods, furnishings, color, space planning and many other areas in our lives are affected by the sun and its rays into our living spaces. The sun and its energy enter our inside living environments through our windows and doors. We buy window coverings to control the light and darkness, as well as to offer decorative beauty in our homes. We also use them for privacy and insulation.

There are a myriad of products on the market that cover windows. We’re going to review the shadings or blinds that cover the glass on our windows and doors. We to use draperies that traverse across the glass on a rod or headrail as well. In the shading and blind industry, the available products fall into three categories. The 1st is the “tilt and turn” category which has little insulation when open to see the view or let in light. Metal mini blinds, wood blinds (including vinyl and faux or fake wood blinds), vertical blinds, and shutters are included in this grouping. When these products are closed, you get some kind of insulation, however air seeps in through the slats. So insulation is limited. When the slats or vanes are open, there is no insulation opportunity. Metal products are a temperature conductor, especially in the cold weather.

The 2nd category is what I label the “up and down” grouping of shades. These are the old type of shades that roll up onto a headrail, often used as a spring loaded headrail, many custom made fabric shadings in different styles, such as roman shades like Vignette®, and Duette® or honeycomb shades. When these shades are pulled up to the top of the opening, you have a great view, light and NO INSULATION. When they are down or closed, you have privacy and insulation but no view. Draperies that traverse on decorative rods fall into this category, too.

The most versatile products fall into the 3rd category. I humorously call this one the “Have your Cake and Eat it too” group of shadings. In the Hunter Douglas product line they are named Silhouette®, Nantucket™, Luminette®, and Pirouette®. Other companies have similar shadings like Shangri-La® and Illusions with similar operation. These shadings are made with sheer fabrics to support vanes between the fabrics. The sheers are tightly woven and allow 3 types of viewing opportunities. They are all able to be pulled up to a headrail, into a headrail or drawn to the side, allowing a totally clear view through the glass. Great view, but no privacy or insulation is available in this position. When you draw them over the glass, the vanes can be in either the open or closed position. With open vanes, you see a filtered view, and have all the benefits of about 60% of insulation from the cold in the winter and heat in the summer.  So you have  views and insulation at the same time. Privacy is available when you totally close the vanes. These products offer 3 different viewing opportunities, including  insulation savings and responsible energy usage.

The bonus of the 3rd “Have your Cake and Eat it too” category is UV protection. The Hunter Douglas products in that category offer an 88% UV protection for your inside furnishings when the shadings are rotated to the “down, open” position, where the vanes are open so you have a filtered view.  When the vanes are closed in the down position, your UV protection jumps to 99%.  The UltraViolet Rays cause damage to our furnishings, flooring, and accessories by bleaching the color and causing fading on furnishings. The higher your altitude where you live, the more quickly floors and furnishings are changed or ruined. In the case of fabrics, they may get “sun rot” where the fibers actually break apart. Having the UV protection with the view at the same time is a great way to enjoy the outside while protecting your furnishings.

Because these insulative shadings have tubular spaces, especially the Silhouette® and Nantucket™ products, they tend to collect insects and debris inside the columns with sheer sides and the horizontal vanes. People asked “How To Get Bugs out of Silhouettes®”? CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ was invented to handle this chore easily, safely and inexpensively. Using the CamilyWand™ will keep your shadings bug free, while protecting your shading investment.

We are happy to give you other ideas and thoughts about blind and shading decisions and how to properly care for them. The window covering industry has come a long way from the old venetian blinds and spring loaded roller shades. Enjoy the journey of selecting beautiful window covering products that will enhance your home and living experience.

Categories
General

Cooler Temperatures Ahead: Are your Blinds Ready to Save You Energy

We’re all enjoying our fall foliage views and preparing for the upcoming lower temperatures. Here in Colorado Springs, we’re in the 70’s and 80’s as I write this and are expecting a possible 35 degree drop in temperatures this week, maybe bringing snow. Keeping that in mind as we move toward the holiday season, we should prepare for our changing energy needs. Many of us want to perk up our homes for the Holidays. It might mean purchasing new window treatments or cleaning our existing  shadings and blinds to prepare for those holiday gatherings at our homes.

Not only will our temperatures be dropping, the light will be changing. As the sun moves toward the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere, our daylight hours become shorter and dark descends earlier in the afternoon. This affects our energy, as we are able to use solar energy during the day when the sun is out, then need to preserve that energy when the sun goes down at night.

Many of you have Silhouette® window shadings in your home which allow the best of all worlds for energy savings and views at the same time. They will keep out about 60% of the cold air when covering the glass, either with the vanes open to see your views or the vanes closed for privacy. ( The reverse happens in the summer with the heat.) The view with the energy savings is filtered with the sheers on both the back and the front, however the energy saving is worth having some filtering in the view. If you want a clear view, you are able to roll the Silhouette® into the headrail, only looking through the glass. The sister product of the Silhouette® shading, which is designed in a horizontal orientation, is the Luminette® shading, which traverses in a vertical orientation. Both products offer tilt and turn options with minimal sheer covering, so they can be in the open or closed position as well as being drawn to the side in the Luminette® shade or the headrail in the case of Silhouttes®.

The other categories of window shadings will be discussed in a future blog post. All offer different attributes for clients to consider when making window shading decisions for their home. The reason the Silhouette® is so popular is that the 3 attributes only available in that type and family of shading have: views, insulation and privacy at the same time!

The beauty of Silhouettes® also attracts bugs and debris when they are in the down, open position because the bugs love the light, crawl in and cannot find their way out. Many clients have asked How to get Bugs out of Silhouettes®? We at Camily, LLC have invented a tool: CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to address this question and remove the pesky insects from your beautiful shadings. The quicker they are removed, the better chance of keeping your shading free of stains. We have a post on this blog addressing the bug removal concern. It is a minor problem if addressed quickly and we do not consider it a detriment when compared to the wonderful attributes the Silhouettes® offer.

Clients will often purchase the shadings for their windows and add decorative window dressings, such as draperies, valences, side panels and cornices. These products soften a room and provide the opportunity for clients to express their preferences, style and color in their rooms. Often that is the way clients are able to relax and become rejuvenated when they spend time in those areas. This makes your window treatments and living areas become phychological sanctuaries for your lives.

Categories
General

Fall Equinox – How it Affects Light, Your Living

The fall or autumnal equinox marks the half way mark of the sun moving from the summer to winter solstices. In Pikes Peak country it arrives at 8:49 am on September 22, 2012. The sun is crossing the equator, moving into the southern hemisphere. Our daylight will continue to get shorter and the sun will be what we call “lower in the sky”. The angle as it enters our homes becomes lower and comes farther into our rooms, as opposed to the high summer sun.

The beauty of the changing sun angle is showcased amazingly for those who have Silhouette® shadings on their windows. The structure of Silhouettes® allows a play of light as it hits the vanes from the outside then moves into the room at different angles, allowing different angles of light in your rooms. By rotating the vanes, all of those sun angles change, making the light in the room change.

When the vanes are in the basically horizontal position, there is still light play. As it makes a horizontal tube type structure, bugs and debris are drawn into the side opening. People wondered how to get bugs out of Silhouettes® after they had them in their homes for awhile, so we invented our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to pick up the pests with its sticky tip. The light will heat the bugs, so it is best to remove them as soon as you see them. We don’t want them to stay in the blinds until the Winter Solstice!

As you enjoy the longer evenings it is said that autumnal equinox increases the chances of Northern Lights sightings. The next 5 weeks will offer a better chance of seeing the glow of aurora, should you be lucky enough to see it where you live

Another interesting play of light happens during the equinoxes at the El Castillo pyramid in Chichen Itza on the Mayan peninsula of Mexico. A shadow from light shining on the side of a  staircase on the pyramid joins with the stone head to give the illusion of a large glowing “serpent,” according to National Geographic.

This phenomenon happens in the rooms of our homes and offices is a less dramatic way. A client recently bought more window shadings to cover her upper layer of windows so she could cook in her kitchen at dinnertime.  The timing of the sun glare is the same every year and is also  evident in the reverse time with the spring equinox. By using the summer solstice on June 21st and the winter solstice on December 21 as pivotal times, we’re able to determine light patterns in our living areas. Those patterns reverse at the solstices, so determining your light patterns for ½ of the year will be the opposite on the other half, like a mirror image.

With Silhouette® shadings we are able to control those light and heat changes to suit our daily living chores, thus the beauty of the product. We get light control, insulation and views at the same time in the same product. Other types of products do not offer all three attributes, so Silhouette® and similar products are very popular and effective. We need to protect them and our investment in them, so we have our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to do that.

Categories
News

How to Get Bugs out of Silhouettes

Many of us have invested in Silhouette® blinds, manufactured by Hunter Douglas. Have you had yours at your home for  years, or are they a new purchase? The Silhouettes® offer so many great features, they’ve become one of the most popular window shadings on the global market. It is estimated that over 200 Million homes have installed Silhouette® blinds.

As designers, we show clients the benefits of selecting the Silhouette® family of products for their home. One of the most important features is being able to see through the sheers on the back and front, allowing a filtered view, light, and superior insulation all at the same time. For a truly clear view, the Silhouette® blinds easily roll into a headrail at the top of the window. Or the vanes may be closed for privacy. When the Silhouettes® are covering the glass (in the down position), they keep out about 60-65% of the heat in the summer and the same amount of cold in the winter, making them a very good insulator, while they preserve your view. UV protection is 88% when the blinds are in the down-open position. When the Silhouettes® are closed the UV protection is 99%. To get that kind of protection, insulation and a view at the same time is impressive.

Over time, bugs and debris make their way into the vanes and get stuck inside the vane openings of the shades. There are many “homemade” solutions to get the bugs out of the blinds which are often ineffective or harmful to the shading. Masking tape on a yardstick with the sticky side out is one of the solutions. A hair dryer on the cold setting, a vacuum used for upholstery cleaning with a hose, and canned air are some of the solutions people have used in the past. Lou Manfredini, host of Chicago’s WGN Mr Fix It Show  mentioned that our CamilyWand™ was better than using a leaf blower to get the bugs out of the openings during one of his New To Lou Too segments .

Silhouettes® are a relatively durable window shading. However the edges on the Silhouette® product itself are laser cut and are able to fray if abused during the bug removal process. Our CamilyWand™ is a simple, safe, inexpensive solution to the sticky, bug removal problem.

Lynn Severson, our owner/inventor has worked on her CamilyWand™ for a decade. She is thrilled to hear all of the comments from homeowners, designers and manufacturers singing praises for her  sticky bug removal tool.  Camily, LLC, her company, holds the patent for CamilyWand™.

We have heard of a myriad of uses for our tool beyond the window covering arena. It’s a great overall tool to have in your home. It reaches lightweight items or spiderwebs and debris  from inaccessible places. The list of chores it will do is never-ending.

We have a demonstration video that thoroughly explains the tool, how to use it, how to clean it and shows additional uses beyond removing bugs from the Silhouettes®. We know you’ll enjoy learning about our cleaning tool! The video is on our website at the bottom of the blog posts, the “About Us” and “Home” pages.

 

 

 

 

Categories
General

Tool to Safely Remove Aphids from Roses, Bugs from Blinds, or Debris from Ceilings

A lucky owner of CamilyWand™ was working in her garden this spring and noticed aphids on her roses. Her creative mind thought she would try to remove the aphids with her CamilyWand™, hoping the totally sticky tip would easily get rid of the bugs without harming her roses, thus making her tedious task simpler and easier.

She wrote a note to me saying, “Had this idea last night – to remove aphids from the roses with my trusty CamilyWand™. It worked pretty darn well!”

The original use for CamilyWand™ was to remove bugs, gnats, insects, moths, pests and other small debris from the prestigious Silhouette®  window shadings by Hunter Douglas. These blinds are designed to disperse light into rooms with 2 sheer fabrics on the front and back of the shadings and a “S” curved vane between the 2 sheers. The light refraction is so spectacular when the shades are in the “open” position, that bugs are attracted to that light, flying or crawling into the columnar opening, staying there and dying when they cannot find their way out.

If left in the opening when the shading is closed and raised into the headrail, the culprits often damage the shade with their body oils. That’s why it is imperative to remove them before rolling the shading into the headrail. Speedy removal of the bugs and debris will preserve your financial investment and spectacular views.

Our Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ will not harm the window shadings. Hunter Douglas is the leading manufacturer of blinds and shadings, consistently innovating new products.  Many of their products attract bugs and debris. Our tool is designed to remove the pesky insects from not only the Silhouettes®. It also picks up debris on Nantuckets™,  Luminettes®, Vignettes®, Pirouettes®, and larger celled Duettes® (1″ or more) by Hunter Douglas.  Comfortex manufacturers Shangri-La® shadings which also attract insects that can be removed with our CamilyWand™. Our tool will work on similar shadings manufactured by other companies.

Other CamilyWand™ owners use their tool in the full extension position to reach inaccessible places. They attach the sticky CamilyTip™ to spider webs on ceilings, crown mouldings, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, tops of furniture, door jambs, pot and pan racks, drapery soft treatments, bannisters on stairways and many other difficult to reach places.

People pick up papers and other light weight items that have fallen between or behind appliances. It’s tough to reach important papers when they drop behind heavy furniture or office equipment. With the 2 extendible lengths, our CamilyWand™ will reach to 4 feet with the CW24 and to 6 feet with the CW36, allowing accessibility for almost any “pick-up” chore.

Engines in vehicles, boats and yachts have compartments where retrieving lightweight parts is difficult. The small spaces combined with the sticky tackiness of our CamilyTip, allow mechanics to easily reach the part. Our tool will also reach under and around tight areas when objects are lodged in inaccessible places.

Sewing, production and manufacturing facilities often have needs for our tool to safely retrieve smaller, lightweight objects.

Delicate areas where a light touch is required is perfect for retrieval with our CamilyWand™. It is so very tacky, it will attach to almost anything that is lightweight and removable. Lifting the bug or debris away or out or tight places is an easy, safe removal system and will serve owners well.

We invite you to give our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ a try for your “cleaning” and removal needs. We think you’ll realize that it is indeed a “magic” tool.

Categories
General

CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool

To Preserve your beautiful view through your window shadings, which are spoiled by bugs, insects, and debris, we have invented and patented our new CamilyWand™ Sticky Bug Removal  Tool™.

Its sticky tip attaches to pesky critters that get trapped inside the chambers between the vanes of Silhouette® window shadings manufactured by Hunter Douglas. The Silhouettes® are in the upper echelon of window shadings and it’s a shame to ruin them by letting bugs die in the sunny vanes, then damage the vanes because they are not removed. Large investments in the shadings are lost if the bugs stain the fabrics.

Our owner of Camily, LLC, Lynn Severson, sold many of these types of shadings during her 40 year career. Clients waited for her to manufacture our Sticky Bug Removal Tool™, and were thrilled when she delivered her first tools to them.

The critter problem is easily fixed with our ingenious solution. A Sticky CamilyTip is attached to an extension pole to reach bugs in even the widest blinds. Clients see unobstructed beautiful views after the bugs are removed, while maintaining excellent insulation with these blinds. Taking a few minutes for bug removal will spare clients the pain and destruction that happens if the culprits remain in the shadings over time.

Our demonstration video gives you all of the details you need to know to keep your view clear of pesky critters and protect your valuable investment in your window shadings.