Tag: Shangri-Las

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Easter, Passover, Spring Holidays bring fun times; Spring break brings Cozy Family times and Delicious food

As we prepare for our Easter and other religious holidays, I am reminded of the glorious way eggs are revered here and in many other parts of the globe. The religious symbolism in many faiths celebrates the resurrection and the hope of new life. It is considered a time for planting, recognizing the Vernal Equinox. Some say that our Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the Vernal Equinox. Thus we have varied times for Easter celebrations every year. This year it will be on Sunday, March 30th.

In my travels I have collected many different versions of decorated eggs from many different countries. The Europeans share their hope of new life through so many beautiful, different and charming ways. One of my most favorite displays was in Prague, where they hang eggs from branches of huge trees, where leaves and blossoms have not opened. They decorate many of the tall trees all the way to the top with eggs in their Old Town Square to celebrate the new spring season. Some of the trees were 40-50 feet tall, and to see the whole tree covered with eggs hanging from all of their branches was spectacular.

We often have Easter Egg Hunts for our children after our Easter religious celebrations are finished. Many of our holiday meals have delicious, traditional foods to celebrate in our own religious beliefs. Families will visit, enjoying warmer, often sunnier weather. We’ll be enjoying the opportunity to invite our relatives and friends into our homes and share the holiday.

This is an important time to have our homes look as nice as possible. For those of you who have Silhouette® types of blinds, the openings where the vanes rotate may have collected some bugs and debris over time. This also happens to other products in the Hunter Douglas line, like Nantuckets™, Luminettes®, Vignettes® and Pirouettes®. Other companies manufacture Illusions and Shangri-La® blinds that have the same needs. My interior design clients who own these types of products were always asking for ways to remove the bugs and other debris.

So I invented and patented the Award Winning CamilyWand™ to solve the problem. It is a simple extension pole with a continually sticky CamilyTip™ which grabs the offending particles from the vane inside the shading. You carefully remove the pole, wash the reusable tip to remove the debris and it is ready to use again. You’ll protect your investment in your Silhouettes® while keeping your view clear for your guests to see Mother Natures’ beautiful landscapes clearly through your windows as they enjoy dining with you.

We at Camily, LLC wish you the best of your holidays, whether it be Easter, Passover, or the other religions celebrations honoring new life. Have a great Holiday Weekend!

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Spring Equinox brings Promise of Longer days, New Buds on plants, Suns’ warmth, Outdoor activities, Family time

Our Spring Equinox  happened this week, where the sun passes over the Equator and signals more sunshine in the northern hemisphere. The rotation of the earth in relation to the sun will mean longer daylight hours and sun placement “higher” in the sky. The sun goes as far north as Baja California, so at that point, June 21st it is as high in the sky as it will be. We have just had our daylight savings time change and are adjusting to the hour of later light. This, combined with the spring equinox, promises sun filled days that allow us to enjoy the outdoors for several more hours as spring rolls into summer.

Barbecues, backyard games, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, and many more sports bring more outdoor time. We enjoy that healthy time in the sun. I typically garden until it gets too dark to see the plants – very theraputic for me. We leave our doors open to move inside and out when we grill, picnic or play outdoors. The sun will heat up the inside of our homes in a solar energy fashion. The sun is getting higher and hotter as we move through the spring equinox.

Those of us in the window covering industry have long known the value of window shadings for use in heat and cooling of our interiors. During the winter, we discussed heat savings, such as approximately 60% of the cold kept out of your homes when Silhouette® type of shadings cover the windows, with vanes closed or open. The reverse happens in the summer, when the heat stays on the outside, letting your rooms stay cooler during those hot mid summer days.

In addition to energy saving options, the Silhouette®, Luminette®, Pirouette® and Nantucket™ from Hunter Douglas, as well as Illusions and Shangri-La® from other companies, provide filtered views when the vanes are open, and privacy when closed. These are the only class of products that offer all 3 qualities at the same time. We enjoy the see through views, that at times will collect debris from plants or bugs or moths who get in the vane openings, and can’t get out. We have invented a tool to solve that problem: CamilyWand™. Our Sticky Bug Removal Tool has a sticky CamilyTip that grabs the offensive particle or bug, and easily removes it. It is so sticky that we don’t drag it along the vanes, we carefully remove it from the opening without touching the fabric. Cleaning for your Easter holiday becomes a “fun” chore with our tool.

We at Camily, LLC wish you the best of your holiday celebrations and trust that you will have an enjoyable time with favorite people in your lives.

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St Patricks Day: We’re all a wee bit Irish, Bringing 4 Leaf Clovers, Pots of Gold, Green everywhere we go!

Is St Paddy’s Day on your fun list for the weekend? Green everywhere! Even those who aren’t of Irish descent pretend to be Irish and join in the celebrations. There will be parades, religious services, parties and green beer and drinks.

When I was in Chicago for the 2010 International Housewares Show, my sporting cousins took me to the Chicago River to watch the Chicagoans turn it green. It was a wonderful time, despite the winter temperatures. We needed warm coats and stamina to watch, but I loved it and thank them very much for their hospitality! The policemen on horses and boats dying the river green were spectacular sights!

I had attended the huge International Housewares Show that year, with my booth and CamilyWand™ displays. There were about 66,000 attendees that year, and 22,000 of them visited the housewares area, where our booth was located. We made many friends at that show, including Lou Manfredini, the Ace Helpful Hardware Man and Today Show contributor. People were mezmerized by our streaming video showing our product in a demonstration featuring all of its myriad of uses. We use a demonstration with a Silhouette® blind filled with bugs on display, and we removed all of them, bringing interest to a solution for a huge need in the window shading industry.

Our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ was a hit at the show because it is necessary for keeping Silhouette® window shadings by Hunter Douglas bug free. It’s sticky tip grabs bugs when it is inserted into the open ended vanes, safely removing them from the sheer openings.  It also works on other products, such as Pirouettes®, Vignettes®, Luminettes®, Nantuckets™, Shangri La® and Illusion blinds. If you have a cobweb in a high corner or a piece of paper behind heavy furniture, CamilyWand will easily pick it up for you. When you have a clean, bug free shading, the views are restored and your shading investment protected.

Now is the time to get rid of the critters in your shadings and homes with our CamilyWand™. St Patricks day is a few days away and the Easter and Passover holidays are in a few weeks. This is an opportune time to get your home clean for the upcoming celebrations and fun times. Enjoy your parties, get togethers and families with your home and window shadings looking their best for Springtime!

 

 

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Springtime Around the corner, March comes in bringing March Madness, Spring Break and Easter

Springtime is indeed coming – March has come in like a lamb. What a great start to warmer, sunshiny days for 2013. Many of you have experienced some beautiful snowfalls along with the beauty and challenges that accompany them. It will be a wonderful respite to enjoy higher temperatures. As my friend said “March is Marching in Mild!” It started that way for some of us but has quickly changed, bringing snowstorms across much of the country.

We will usher in Daylight Savings Time this weekend, on March 10th at 2 AM, moving our clocks forward 1 hour. You know the adage: Spring forward, fall back. Next week our sunsets will be 1 hour later. Our daylight time is getting longer each day, so those of us who love that will be more productive and happier.

March madness in basketball is almost here. I remember hosting players and friends as a teenager in Madison, WI. They came from all over the state to compete – it was a fun, exciting time. Many of you will be involved in some way as that tradition happens this year.

In preparation for those get togethers, our Easter celebrations, and the final advent of spring, it is important to have your home in order. That includes your window shadings and soft treatments. Many of you have window shadings with vane openings like Silhouettes® by Hunter Douglas, that collect little particles, gnats and bugs. We have invented a tool to help you remove them easily: CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™. It does the job well, leaving you with bug free views to enjoy the outside while getting insulation and privacy as well.

The removal process is simple. Our CamilyWand™ works with a sticky CamilyTip™ attached to the end of an extension pole. When inserted into the side opening of the shading, it will grab the offending bug or particle. Then you may remove it, without dragging the tip on the fabric, and have a clear unobstructed view. It is an easy process, works cleanly and quickly, and saves your investment in your shadings from permanent stains left behind by bugs. Our tool works on Silhouettes®, Pirouettes®, Luminettes®, Nantuckets™ and Vignettes® from Hunter Douglas. It also will remove bugs from Illusions, Shangri-La@ window shadings and particles and light weight objects from inaccessible places.

It is best to remove the offensive pests as soon as possible, having your shadings and home ready for these spring occassions. You and your visitors will be happy you took time to preserve your views, protect your shadings and enjoy a clean, warm, inviting home as spring approaches.

 

 

 

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March: Sharing Life Giving Moisture for Tulips, Crocuses, Snowdrops to Bloom, and Snow Angels in our Yards

Flowering bulbs like Tulips, Crocuses and Snowdrops will be showing their beautiful blossoms soon and we’ll begin to feel the warmth of spring. March is just around the corner – a busy month for holidays this year. And the weather will be fickle – some colder days and then surprising warm spells thrown in to tease us into thinking winter is over.

I’m always thrilled to celebrate the return of Daylight Savings time in March, and will treasure the longer daylight hours. It always seems to me that I have more time to “get things done” during the daylight, which is untrue. But light and sunlight are both very cheerful to me, making me more productive. Add the flowers, a reminder of Mother Nature at her best, and it is a very positive time.

I’m reminded of some time I recently spent in the Wisconsin, where  the temperatures dipped below Zero overnight. It was cold working near the windows, where some of the computers were located. With the aluminum miniblinds at the windows I froze when I worked in that room. The cold was transmitted right through the glass, causing a greater heating bill to keep the room warm. I remembered how nice it is to work with wonderfully insulated Silhouettes® at my windows in Colorado Springs. I’m certain that I’ve recovered most of the initial investment in my Hunter Douglas Silhouettes® by keeping them down in the open position in the windows when the weather is cold. It is a great feeling to save energy and not waste our dwindling natural resources. Adding the bonus of a beautiful shading, allowing a filtered view, privacy and insulation simultaneously, I feel I’m in a great position to continue keeping warmth in my home.

Sometimes bugs and debris find their way into the Silhouette®, Luminette®, Nantucket™, Vignette® and Pirouette® shadings. We have invented a tool to easily remove the bugs and debris from your shadings: CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™. It is a simple extension pole with a perpetually sticky tip, which retains its stickiness when it is washed after each use. People put the CamilyWand™ into the side of the vane openings, grab the pesky bug, insect or plant, then carefully remove it from the side of the opening, and their blind is bug free, allowing their gorgeous view to return.

We produce our CamilyWand™ to help the millions of Silhouette® owners keep their beautiful window shadings in excellent condition. Home owners, window covering professionals and interior designers all love the ease of use with superb results, keeping the valuable shadings bug free and looking like new!

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Flowery Gentle Spring or Sparkly White Snow ’til mid March

Last weekend, on February 2nd, a famous little groundhog named Punxsatawney Phil crawled out of his hole and did not see his shadow. The legend says that there will be an early spring if he  doesn’t see his shadow. Those of us who are anxious for spring to arrive welcomed the great news. Woodstock Willy, with Lou Manfredini, the Ace Helpful Hardware Man, also predicted an early spring.

We are halfway through winter and will enjoy Valentines Day parties, St Patrick’s Day celebrations and many other get togethers as warmer weather arrives in the northern hemisphere. Those who are getting snow now will have moisture to water their gardens and vegetation. Some of us in drought areas will need to winter water to bring our flowering gardens to life in a few weeks.

From the inside of our homes, we will have new views to enjoy through our windows. Colorful tulip, daffodil, and crocus bulbs will be filling our gardens soon. I always enjoy seeing the crocuses peek through the snow during a spring snowstorm – such delicate blossoms covered with a sparkly snow blanket. When the temperatures are cold, the view of the garden through my Silhouette® blinds is stunning and cheerful. When the temperatures are cooler, the shades keep about 2/3 of the cold outside (when the vanes are open or closed), allowing that filtered view and great insulation.

Many people have Silhouettes® in their homes and have the problem of bugs or debris inbetween the vanes.  Our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ was invented to easily remove the bugs and little gnats or plant debris from those spaces. It’s perpetualy sticky CamilyTip makes it an easy, safe tool used to protect your investment in the Silhouette® shadings in your homes. When the tip gets dusty and dirty, it is easy to wash, dry and replace. We suggest washing the CamilyTip often to keep it as tacky as possible.

As we move towards spring, we have a perfect time to get at that spring cleaning. Then you’ll be able to get a great view of your flowery garden through your clean and bug free Silhouettes®. We hope you have a wonderful spring, as it may come sooner rather than later!

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Romance of Moonlight Evenings and Fading Darkness

We’re at the beginning of February and are enjoying our longer daylight: close to 30 minutes/day. That also means less romantic moonlight – as we’ve enjoyed with our recent full moon. We’re having colorful sunrises and sunsets to brighten our spirits.

As the darkness fades into the longer daylight hours, the sunlight angle brings different amounts of light into our homes. Sunlight coming in through uncovered windows will fade anything in its path over time. That includes flooring like wood, carpets and area rugs, fabrics and upholstered chairs and sofas. It will also damage artwork.

In that light, it is best to choose a window shading that will protect your interiors with the least amount of fading possible. Hunter Douglas has several shadings that provide UV protection while allowing filtered views of your landscapes or seascapes. They are Silhouettes®, Luminettes®, Pirouettes®, and Nantuckets™. There are also Shangri-La® and Illusions from other companies. You are able to see the difference in the sun shining on your floors, for example with the Silhouettes®, and no sun protection. Eventually wood and carpet will fade and fabrics will begin disintegrate. So it is important to keep the sun from fading your interiors and furnishings.

We often put Silhouettes® blinds in our clients’ homes for the very reason that they are able to have the insulation, views and privacy all with one shading. When they get bugs and debris between the vanes in their shade, they use our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ to easily and quickly remove the offending critters. You will save your Silhouette® from getting spots and preserve your view. Your UV protection with the Silhouette® is 99% when the vanes are closed for privacy and 88% when they are open for your filtered views.

Be sure to pay attention to your sun patterns and do your best to keep your fabrics and flooring in good condition by sparing them from the suns rays. That simple control will buy you years of life for your home furnishings.

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Glistening Low Sunshine Streaming into your Living Areas Brings you Peace

Favorite ideas and thoughts enter our minds during each season. We are in the middle of our winter months, when the temperatures dip, often to uncomfortable levels, and the daylight is shorter. Finding interesting and fun outdoor activities can be challenging. When it snows, we are blessed with moisture for our yards and gardens.  Special snow effects marking texture in our yards, and making marshmallow like formations as it covers plants and structures, provide interest that only happens in winter.

In such a beautiful atmosphere, there are enjoyable, sporting activities like ice hockey, ice skating, skiing, and sledding. Or we are able to enjoy sleigh rides driven by horses, and gorgeous walks in the snow. Teams of huskies pull sleds in The Iditarod Trail  Sled Dog Race in Alaska from Anchorage to Nome. Some people thrive in very cold areas, all providing entertainment outside.

As we warm up in the inside after enjoying our play time outside, we light fires in our fireplaces,  and enjoy hot toddies or hot chocolate. Our environment has many ways of absorbing warmth besides our household heating. Solar heat is especially effective with our windows in our homes. Smart use of our window shadings is available for us to save energy and keep your home and hearths warm and cozy.

Through those windows, we’re often able to watch people enjoying the wintertime sports. We use varied window coverings and are able to view the outside if we have Silhouettes® or similar treatments covering our glass. The Silhouettes® allow a filtered view along with energy savings and UV protection. They will often be a bug magnet, drawing them into the vanes and trapping them there as they cannot find their way out. When they get caught, it is important to remove them as soon as possible. We have invented a tool to solve that problem: our CamilyWand Sticky Bug Removal Tool™.  It’s sticky, removable, washable tip grabs the offending bugs, moths, flies and debris; it safely and easily removes the pesky bugs. Your shades will give you the unobstructed view you’ve come to expect from a superior window shading.

As you enjoy the advantages of winter, keep the fun times in mind and remember to keep the inside of your home and your window shadings in great shape. Our CamilyWand™ is a great tool to have on hand for your window shading cleaning needs. All of your favorite outside activities are sure to bring you closer to Mother nature to enjoy her gifts!

 

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Frosty, Sparkly, Snowy Days Bring Cozy Feelings

Our winters offer beauty like none other with gorgeous white snow, sunlight reaching us and entering our homes at a lower level. We spend more time feeling like enjoying the fireside, hot chocolate and the joys of being inside our homes. It’s time to consider what we would like to do to increase the joy of living and spending time in the comfort of our homes.  The light reflecting off the snow and into our homes is sparkly at sunrise and sunset times – special to witness.

Winter in the US gives us long southern sun exposure. The light and solar heat comes farther into our homes because of the suns’ angle and its location in the southern hemisphere. At sunrise and sunset, we always get sparkly light shining into our rooms, accented by blinds like Hunter Douglas Silhouettes®. They give us great UV protection on our interior furnishings – 88% when the vanes are open and 99% when closed. The sparkly effect happens when the vanes are open and the sun is at a low angle at dawn or dusk.

Because the Silhouettes® are such a great insulator, allowing views and privacy at the same time, they are very popular shadings. When they are in the down position with the vanes open, covering the glass, flies, bugs and debris tend to collect between the vanes. They are attracted by the golden, sparkly light, exactly what we enjoy. Once they get into the openings between the vanes, they are unable to find their way out. They often roast there and need to be removed. We invented and manufacture our CamilyWand™Sticky Bug Removal Tool™ for that chore as well as to reach other inaccessible places in your home. It is a simple, safe, easy to use tool that protects your Silhouette® blinds and keeps your investment looking like new for years to come. CamilyWand™ also works on shadings like Luminettes®, Pirouettes®, Nantuckets™, Shangri-La® and Illusions.

It’s a good idea to have our CamilyWand™ on hand for those times when a pesky bug mars your view. Removing the offending insect as soon as possible is best.

We want to help you keep your home and window shadings beautiful and have them serve you well for years to come. The gorgeous views will stay that way if you’re able to keep the bugs away from your vanes. Then you’ll enjoy your cozy feelings with your iridescent light from your shadings all through the year.

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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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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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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.

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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.