While we’ve all become accustomed to going broke at the pump; you may have noticed that you came away from the pump with enough money to buy a cheeseburger this week.

That’s a good thing, of course, something we all want to see keep happening; that’s why it’s important to understand just why it is happening.

Speculation, the assumption of the risk of loss, in return for the uncertain possibility of a reward, is a common practice among investment bankers, typically hedge funds. In recent years, many investment bankers saw fit to buy barrels of oil which haven’t even been drilled for yet; thus, driving up the cost of those barrels as demand began rising much higher than the available supply.

The end result of all of this is higher prices for gas, along with many other petroleum based products, such as plastics, some paints and many solvents. This, in turn, has led to higher prices for any products which are made of plastic, make use of oil based paints or are manufactured using any of those solvents.
Now, the majority of this speculation began after 2005’s severe hurricane season caused oil shortages in some parts of the world. Many investors were banking on that keeping up in following years. When those hopes (sick as they may seem) were dashed, speculators began selling their oil, causing a sharp drop in price, which we have all seen at the pump.

For more information, refer to this CNN article.

Many of you have been keeping up with my recent series of posts regarding picking paint colors. If you’re just finding this blog or haven’t been by in a while, I might suggest starting from the beginning. If you’ve been following along, please, read on.

If you’re going to be bringing several sources of color into a room, maybe you should consider painting the walls one of the many hundreds of clean shades of white.

Furniture, bedding, accent pillows, photographs, paintings, sculptures, even a window with a view can bring all the color a room needs.

If you’d like more color tips, please, be my guest!

Recently, I began posting tips on picking the best colors for a room. If you’ve been following the series, good for you! If not, you can get caught up, by starting here, before reading on.
You’ve picked the colors you want in your house and, now, just can’t decide what color to put where. Don’t worry, this is more common for the average homeowner than you probably think. This simple guideline should help you decide!

You want to make a statement to people coming into your home. One way, perhaps the best way, to do this is by painting your entryway a bright color. Strong colors, which would be suitable for such an area, should be kept out of a kitchen, however. There, you should use white or a very pale pastel. Dark or extremely bright colors aren’t relaxing enough for use in a bedroom. You’re better off with a neutral or softer color where you sleep. Pretty much anything goes in the bathroom; it’s such a small space that you can get away with almost anything. Except dark colors, that is. They make small spaces look even smaller.

Interested in thinking bigger? Read on!

If you’ve read my recent post regarding choosing the right colors, you’ve begun to understand why it is important to pick your colors carefully. If you haven’t, please take a moment to do so before you read what I’ve written below.

If you’re thinking of a bright color but are hesitant to paint an entire room with it, consider painting one wall and keeping the others white or neutral. Not only does this ground the room, it becomes the focal point in what may otherwise be a boring room!

As always, stay tuned for more! This is only the second of ten color choosing tips I have to offer!

Want more? Don’t fret, I’ve got you covered!

How about getting rid of a big stink? Natural odor killers can fix that funk. Here are a few options in eco-friendly odor elimination:

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4. Homemade concoction - 3 parts fabric softener with 4 parts water in a spray bottle.

One of the most difficult and important aspects of interior design is choosing the right colors. I’ve got 10 tips you can use to make this crucial chore a lot easier!

One of the most important things to consider is how the color on a room works with the colors in neighboring rooms. One simple technique is to start with hallways and other common areas of the house, selecting a neutral shade, such as one of the many Freshaire Choice paint colors. Bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen and other rooms connecting to those common areas can be filled with similar shades of colors you like.

If you’re eager for another color tip, I’ve got more for you right here!

If you’re considering installing recessed lighting, it’s probably because you prefer to keep lamps off your floor and tabletops. When it comes to functional lighting, that’s a wise choice; after all, a table lamp can only light a small area of a room. One more thing to consider when making the decision to lift your lighting to the ceiling is the appearance of the fixtures. A substantial majority of recessed fixtures are just plain ugly!

If that’s not enough to turn you off, consider the fact that you have to cut large holes in your ceiling and hope you have enough open area to safely install those recessed cans for your new lighting.

Don’t worry, you can still enjoy light from above. Pendant lighting, lights that hang a short distance from the ceiling, can provide all the light of a recessed lamp, with less installation hassle and a lot more style.

If you already have some idea what style you are looking for, you can find some pendant lighting available to order online.

Nobody likes to feel like they’re in a closet, especially when they’re not. If you have a room in your home that gives the illusion of being the sizer of a shoe box, try a few of these tips to make your room look and feel larger!

• Move furniture closer to the wall.
  • Furniture that isn’t against, or near, a wall can block walkways and interfere with your view of a space, making it feel smaller.
• Light it up!
  • Brighter rooms look bigger! Let in as much natural light as possible; light is the only thing you can fill a room with that doesn’t take up space.
  • If that doesn’t work, replace any light bulbs in the room with a good quality, high output compact florescent bulbs. This will not only make the room brighter, it will lower your lighting bill!
  • If there is only one source of light in a room, consider adding a lamp.
• Keep it clean!
  • If you don’t need it in the room, get it out of the room! If it must be there, keep it neatly tucked out of the way. The more open space in the room, the bigger the room will feel.
• Use a simple color scheme.
  • Use colors from the same color family.
  • Cool and light warm colors on most surfaces will make the room feel more open, dark colors will make it feel more cramped.
  • If you have to paint any walls, we recommend Freshaire Choice paint for its environmentally friendly properties and premium durability.
• Soften up!
  • Again, dark colors make a space feel cozy and intimate; in a small room, this translates to cramped.
  • Lighter, cooler colors can make the same room feel more open and airy.
  • Soft blue and green tones give the best effect.
• Check your coordination!
  • Your furniture will appear to take up less space if it blends in with the rest of your decor.
  • Contrasting colors break up a room, making it look and feel smaller.

Take these ides and run with them. Apply them to your smallest room first, then try them in your biggest room. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your house is bigger than it looked!

Do you love movies but hate spending tons of money to go to the theater? Do you think rentals are too expensive? Would you like to see more movies despite this?

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First, you build a list of the movies you want to see and NetFlix will mail them to you. When you’re done with one movie, you send it back, postage prepaid, and they send you the next.

Best of all, you can get started tonight, with a free 30 day trial!