Save or splurge?

Save it DAYBED: Padstow daybed pounds 599, faux cow print cushions pounds 16 for 2, Chandelier cushions pounds 9 each, faux fur throw pounds 26, all Tesco TOTAL.......................pounds 659 ADD A TABLE: Cuba 4 Seater Hideaway table and chairs pounds 499, Finest champagne flutes pounds 12 for 4, tablecloth and four napkins pounds 14, Tesco white porcelain pounds 30 for a 16-piece set, Dine Cuba cutlery set pounds 45 (18 pieces), all Tesco.

(Other products shown are stylist's own) TOTAL......................pounds 600 Spend it DAYBED: Fiji Daybed pounds 1,199, Oceans Outdoor Furniture, Clarissa Hulse blue cushions pounds 30 each, chandelier cushion pounds 35 each, John Lewis, London cow cushions pounds 55 each, leopard Faux fur throw pounds 109.99 Simply Beanbags TOTAL.........................pounds 1,548.99 ADD A TABLE: Cube table, four chairs, four stools (not shown) pounds 1,999, Oceans Outdoor Furniture, Oreffors Intermezzo champagne flutes pounds 56 for 2, John Lewis, Punchspoke napkin pounds 6.30 each John Lewis, china pounds 155.40 for 16 pieces, Relish cutlery pounds 59 for 16 pieces, Denby TOTAL.......................pounds 2,294.60 STOCKISTS: Tesco Direct www.tesco.com, 0845 600 4411, Oceans Outdoor Furniture www.oceansint.com, 01295 221170, John Lewis www.johnlewis.com, 0845 6049 049, London Cows www.londoncows.co.uk, 07858 222841, Denby www.denby.co.uk, 01773 740899, Simply Beanbags www.simplybeanbags.co.uk

Author: Anonymous

Choose a Red Chandelier & be Unique

A chandelier in the home might seem a little over the top to some, however just take a look online at the various styles and designs available and there are plenty of options that are subtle and would suit any room size and decor. Long gone are the days when chandeliers were only associated with ballrooms, stately homes and grand halls, next time you are out and about in friends houses, shopping in high street stores, or even watching TV, take an active interest in the lighting fixtures and you'll soon realize how popular chandeliers actually are.

Walking into Down the Rabbit Hole is like squeezing through a narrow corridor surrounded on all sides by organic, artisanal and some local Long Island wines. The wines are organized by taste, rather than region, the wine shop standard."They let their senses guide them," she said.McDonald, a former competitive figure skater, discovered she had an exceptionally sharp palate when she was injured during training. While living in New Jersey, she got a job at a wine boutique, learned the ins and outs of the business and made it her goal to one day open a wine shop."The quirk is the selling point," McDonald said of Down the Rabbit Hole. "It's so tiny, and it's such a novelty, and people enjoy it."Choose a red chandelier if you really want to be individual and have some fun, they would look great in any room but particularly in a bedroom. Mirella produce contemporary styled 3 arm chandeliers with crystal droplets and a beautifully crafted barley twist glass frame. Or check out the more elaborate 5 arm chandelier featuring crystal droplets and red crystal frame. Particularly chic and elegant this Marie Therese design would make the perfect focal point.Chandeliers can look good in any room, people like to hang them in the main bedroom, hallways, living rooms, above the dining table, even in the bathroom! It's important you get the measurements of the lighting fixture before buying and measure up the room it's going to be hung in. If you buy from a showroom without checking this then you might find it's far too big or even too small once you get it home. Measure the floor area, and the distance between the floor and the ceiling. If your ceiling is low or your home on the small side, then this will affect your decision. For the dining room it's advised to measure the distance between the table and the ceiling as you don't want to have to peer around it to see your dining guests!Opening a wine shop in a former storage closet on Main Street in Sayville first helped Suzanne McDonald keep overhead costs down.

If you order red, black, brass or crystal chandeliers online the merchant generally delivers the next day, some will even offer free delivery for orders over a certain amount.

Author: Kathryn Dawson

Small biz profile: Down the Rabbit Hole in Sayville

Editor's Note: In honor of National Small Business Week, libn.com is profiling one small business a day on Long Island. First up, the smallest business of them all.

And with so many price ranges and size options it isn't too difficult to find an option suitable for every room. Styles under 50cm would be perfect in a child's bedroom or in a small bathroom, and with all colours on offer, from pink and green to black and red then you aren't limited in your d�cor.Now, the approximately 100-square-foot size of Down the Rabbit Hole - which shed all traces of its storage closet past when McDonald decorated it with paintings, clean white shelves and a crystal chandelier - is one of the boutique's biggest draws. The shop, with an annual revenue of about $500,000, has been open 3 1/ 2 years and McDonald says it's busiest on weekends and during the summer, when she catches the Fire Island crowd.McDonald, the only full-time employee who started the business when she was 23, opted to organize that way because the different regions and vast varieties of wine tend to intimidate customers. She breaks out the about 100 wines she carries into flavors like fruit- forward or earthy-toned and encourages customers to think about what they like, rather than names such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.Many people don't even consider a chandelier for their home simply because they think they will be out of their price range. However there are lots of quality and beautiful options for under �100. You can find great designs incorporating 5 arms or less manufactured from antique brass or satin nickel, with beautifully crafted birdcage frames, or stunning crystal pendants and elegant decorative frames that would look perfect in any home.McDonald has also branched out her business into hosting wine parties, a good way to spread the word about Down the Rabbit Hole, since she stopped doing traditional advertising after her first year and now relies on word of mouth to bring in business. For a party, a group buys a case of wine, and McDonald will come and lecture on the grapes that go into a particular bottle.If you order red, black, brass or crystal chandeliers online the merchant generally delivers the next day, some will even offer free delivery for orders over a certain amount.Searching online for a chandelier is a very simple process as websites allow you to sort by categories. For example if you have a budget of �100 and don't want to pay more for your lighting fixture than this, then you simply select this option and only those products under this figure come up. You can also sort by size, brand, style and colour."The overhead is low because there isn't a lot of square footage to get rent on," McDonald said.Luckily, her best friend's parents own the Sayville Chocolatier and were willing to rent her the space they were using to store brooms and an old sign.

"The quirk is the selling point," McDonald said of Down the Rabbit Hole. "It's so tiny, and it's such a novelty, and people enjoy it."

Author: Jessica DiNapoli

Ritz-Carlton Royalty, Southern Chic or Texas Traditions

With expansive windows, vast natural lighting and silk-lined walls, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas is home to the largest luxury hotel ballroom in the heart of the city and an array of equally stunning wedding locations in Dallas . When combined with the impeccable service and exquisite cuisine expected from The Ritz-Carlton, weddings at this Dallas luxury hotel are designed to host the most unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.

Michael Kahn and Geoff Gerber, of The BrickHouse Law Group in St. Louis, represent Eastman.Media Contact The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (214) 922-0200Prominent St. Louis photographer Michael Eastman claims that an interior designer starring on Bravo's "Million Dollar Decorators" went overboard when he featured a photo by Eastman as a mural in television hostess Daisy Fuentes' home. The photo, taken in Havana, Cuba, shows two armchairs under a chandelier in a dilapidated ballroom.The case is Michael Eastman and Michael Eastman Images Inc. v. NBCUniversal Media LLC; Bravo Media LLC, Goodbye Pictures Inc., Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Martyn Lawrence Bullard, 4:11- cv-01296.For the savviest of brides, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas offers comprehensive wedding packages in the most glamorous of indoor venues -- complete with custom-made Murano chandeliers and wall sconces. A private, well-manicured garden with lush greenery and tasteful lighting is the perfect setting for pre-ceremony entertaining or a cocktail reception. Pair the ideal location with a generous package -- The Ritz-Carlton Royalty, Southern Chic or Texas Traditions* -- for weddings in Dallas with a minimum of 200 guests. Packages include select place settings, décor, food and beverage service, floral design, valet parking, preferred guest room rates, complimentary overnight accommodations for the bride and groom, and much more.To meet with a Certified Wedding Advisor, get full package details or start planning a wedding at this hotel in Dallas, visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Dallas/Events/Default.htm .When Inland Construction Co. finished the three-story structure in 1914, what became the Washington County Courthouse forsook the iconic Greek columns of traditional halls of justice for a soaring arch of terra cotta flowers and petals. Built at the then- exorbitant cost of $125,000, the builders incorporated a number of striking features inside and out, from stone awnings and terra cotta leaf to marble staircases, cut-glass windows, plaster ceiling moldings and delicate chandeliers.

Media Contact The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (214) 922-0200

St. Louis photographer sues home decorating show

One man's "piece de resistance" is another man's infringed copyright, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in St. Louis.

Having thorough knowledge of wedding etiquette and trends, and cultural and religious traditions, Certified Wedding Advisors are available to assist brides with every step in the planning process. The in-house Event Design Studio is the ultimate resource in the creation and customization of events, where brides can browse an array of the finest linens, china and specialty décor available**.While that promising outlook endured a cold splash of realism less than two months later, once the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand carried most of Europe into the unimaginable Great War, Bartlesville's black crude frontier spirit survived. The courthouse soon witnessed many examples of that vibrant life, lusty tales of sex and murder, robberies, bribery and blackmail, some taking place upon its steps and within its halls."It was one of those grand and glorious courthouses," said Joan Singleton, director of the Bartlesville Area History Museum, the Bartlesville Public Library and the White Rose Cemetery. "That was a time when courthouse buildings were very prestigious. They meant business. Nobody else had buildings like that; well, maybe big hotels, but unless you were very rich, nobody else had buildings that grand. For a community this size, it also was a reflection of the money that was available when it was built.""We had to do some work to make it work, but it does it well," owner Jerry Lesch said of the office building. "The only thing we've really had to do on a major scale was obviously re-roofing it. And I had to put in a new cooling tower last year."The Journal Record profiles a significant Oklahoma City or Tulsa building in "These Walls" every Friday and Monday.That marks another of the ironies of this beautiful building, that a courthouse created so unlike its counterparts should see and preserve such seedy activities courthouses were meant to prevent.Designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard wrote to Eastman in January about using the picture -- "Isabella's Two Chairs 1999" -- on the show. Eastman agreed to let Bullard use the picture, but he claims Bullard gave the impression that he would use only a smaller, framed, black-and-white limited edition photograph. Bullard also said he would give Eastman credit on the show.

The case is Michael Eastman and Michael Eastman Images Inc. v. NBCUniversal Media LLC; Bravo Media LLC, Goodbye Pictures Inc., Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Martyn Lawrence Bullard, 4:11- cv-01296.

Author: Heather Cole

These Walls: Bartlesville's First Court Place

Few buildings encapsulate irony like Bartlesville's First Court Place.

The well-preserved structure now stands as home to Graham Rogers Insurance - marking still another irony, that a structure so closely identified to past crimes should house a company seeking to help protect against such losses."I'm not quite sure I should tell this here," Singleton said of one such event, although like many such criminal exploits from the Roaring '20s and Depression '30s, she noted the stories live on in newspaper accounts and local memories. Indeed, metal plaques around the structure proclaim several of the more colorful encounters.Eastman is a prominent self-taught photographer. His photographs have appeared in Time and Life magazines and are in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art among other museums, the lawsuit says.Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to NewsvineImage Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1668407A color version of the photo was enlarged, however, at a Warner Bros. facility and installed as the "piece de resistance" of the redecoration of Fuentes' home. Eastman never was mentioned on the show.Bullard, who was returning Wednesday night from a trip to London, did not return a message seeking comment by press time. Press contacts at NBCUniversal, Bravo's parent company, and Goodbye Pictures, the show's producer, also did not respond to requests for comment by press time. A Warner Bros. spokesman said in an email the company had no immediate comment.*Pricing varies depending on the package and is valid on qualifying events through 2011. **Brides may upgrade any part of their selected package for a fee.After nearly six decades, that yellow brick and stone building at 501 SE Frank Phillips Blvd. gave up its governmental seat in June 1973. Seeking to preserve the structure's essence, in 1981 a group of Bartlesville citizens succeeded in getting the old courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. Three years later South Country Builders capped a novel restoration and remodeling, turning the beloved site into commercial offices while retaining the ornamentation and environment of the 1914 era.

The Journal Record profiles a significant Oklahoma City or Tulsa building in "These Walls" every Friday and Monday.

Author: Kirby Lee Davis

Choose a Classic Chandelier

Chandeliers can be an effective choice for a particular style of house or room, as well as offering an air of sophistication and glamour they also provide effective lighting. However it�s important to pick a design that fits in with your current d�cor and furnishings if it is going to have the impact you desire.

Brass, brushed nickel, wrought iron, and chrome are fashionable finishes and cheaper alternatives to crystal if you are on a budget but still want something dramatic. Metal chandeliers are uncomplicated and can be quite splendid with any numbers of arms ending in small lights under shades, inside glass cups or simply left to shine as they are.Our wedding advisors are well versed in current wedding trends and traditions -- cultural and religious -- as well as proper etiquette and will ensure that your event is flawlessly executed, no matter how small the detail. To start planning your Fort Lauderdale wedding and reception, visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/FortLauderdale/Meetings/Default.htm .Schonbek is another brand associated with quality, well-known for producing fine crystal chandeliers they have been designing since the 1800s. The family has an unsurpassed enthusiasm for fine crystal lighting and over the years has won many awards, some of the best creations have held pride of place in such prominent locations as Buckingham Palace and even the White House.Setting the standard for flawless Fort Lauderdale weddings begins and ends with the elegant spaces and the legendary services of The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. With breathtaking venues and exceptional amenities, you can count on our dedicated wedding planners to pair the right venue, like our elegant ballroom featuring hand-strung Hungarian crystal chandeliers, silk wall coverings and neutral décor, or the tropical pool terrace located on the seventh floor overlooking the ocean, with the personal elements you desire to make your wedding dreams a reality.Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1680839A trustworthy lighting company will be able to give you a good discount and you might even get free delivery thrown in. If you�re still unsure as to the type of chandelier that would best fit your style and home then just give them a call and have a chat with a member of staff who can give you information and advice.Media Contact Michelle Payer The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of Miami and Fort Lauderdale (786) 470-3424 Email Contact

A trustworthy lighting company will be able to give you a good discount and you might even get free delivery thrown in. If you�re still unsure as to the type of chandelier that would best fit your style and home then just give them a call and have a chat with a member of staff who can give you information and advice.

Author: Kathryn Dawson