When entertaining, I always prefer cleverly repurposing everyday items in a beautiful way over blowing the bank on something store bought or adding yet another trinket to my overflowing cabinets. Thus, I’ve become known for “creative” entertaining ideas.

This holiday creation is one of my all-time favorites. I conceptualized it for Domaine Chandon who hired me to contribute some savvy entertaining tips to their SavvyEntertainer.com website and help them get the word out about their Savvy Entertainer contest (see the link to “enter contest” and note there is a $25K prize).

It’s so simple and inexpensive to make, yet it’s rediculously stunning. Here’s how it’s done:

Ornament Centerpiece

24 various holiday bulb ornaments
1 box thin taper candles
1 serving tray
1 package of floral clay strip, Quake Wax, or Fun Tack (available at craft stores)

Cluster and adhere bulb ornaments to the tray with floral clay strip or other removable adhesive, ensuring that six large ornaments stand upright. Remove the tops of the six upright ornaments so they become bulb vases. Insert a candle into each one, light the wicks, and let the party begin.

Erika Lenkert

Technorati Tags: centerpiece, holiday, ornament, inexpensive, candle, easy, fast, bulb

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I’ve never been all that excited to conceptualize my annual Halloween costume. When I was younger, I wanted to look sexy, or at least cute, and that left little option aside from the classic French maid or nurse costume. When I got a little older, I wanted to be fun–so I went more the way of Carmen Miranda. And then I became all about creating costumes that required nearly no effort or expense–which means they had to be clever. Now that I have a daughter I’m psyched because I can get away with penning some whiskers on my cheeks, pop a pair of ears on my head, and heading off to trick or treat. It’s so low-key!

But alas, this year I’ll head to Food Network chef Tyler Florence’s house after I tuck my little girl into bed. He’s throwing a bash complete with barbecue, spooky decor, and a costume contest. Showing up sans outfit would be flat-out lame.

Right now I have no idea what I’ll wear. Maybe I’ll rely on costume tricks of Halloweens past (see below). If you are still undecided, feel free to steal any of these ideas. Or at a minimum share your genius last-minute costumes with me!

EASY LAST-MINUTE COSTUME IDEAS

Stranger with Candy: One of my personal favorites, write the word “stranger” on a white T-shirt, carry a big bag labeled “candy” and walk around doling out candy to people you don’t know.

A Work of Art: One year my then-roommate artist Sarah Klein needed an instant costume. She grabbed a canvas, painted a quick portrait, cut a hole where the face should be, and hung it around her neck (at the right angle so her face stuck through the hole) by using pantyhose as frame wire.

Perez Hilton: Got spray-on hair die, faux fur vest, and funky pants? Add some body graffiti (in his trademark thick white pen) and you’re the Queen of All Media.

Black-Eyed Pea: Give yourself a black eye with makeup and paint a giant letter “P” on your shirt. Voila!

A Yogini: Stuff some tights with batting, tie them around your head so that it looks like you’re a walking pretzel, and wear a long dark skirt that hides your real legs. This one even lets you wear a sexy yoga top if you wish.

Go Green: Paint your face green and wear all green clothes. You’re the epitome of green living.

Erika Lenkert

Technorati Tags: last-minute Halloween costumes, clever, easy

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Now that I’m a mom I truly understand how hard it is to juggle childrearing and a career. I also understand the emotional, practical, and financial allure of taking a break from the workplace to focus on the hardest and most underrated job of all: raising children.

While my workaholic tendencies, passion for my job, and steep mortgage deter me from going on a permanent play date from the workaday world, I know plenty of woman who have done just that–and also found it hard to find their professional footing once the kids are in school and they’re ready to launch their own lives again.

Enter YourOnRamp. This supercool site, which I’ve featured before, is a one-stop shop for “onramping,” or getting out of the playground and into the boardroom or wherever you’d like to be.

YourOnRamp cofounder, mother of four, and self-professed OnRamper Catherine Clifford has generously agreed to offer 10 tips on how to get back into the game–with a career that may allow you to clock out in time for the afternoon’s Little League game.

Welcome, Catherine…..

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Guest Blogger Catherine Clifford on How to Get a Family-Friendly Career
When Erika asked me to do a guest blog for Glam.com it didn’t take long for me to figure out what to write about: my favorite topic, OnRamping. The challenge was communicating how Glam-orous, fun and hip OnRamping can be. Here goes…

The kids are headed back to school. Is this the year you’re ready to OnRamp? I know you love sitting in car line, making lunches and endless hours volunteering at your child’s school, but maybe you’re ready to take a journey that’s yours alone. No one said you have to go back to your 80 hour/week investment banking career. Maybe you’re ready to write a book, pursue that career you always wanted, or make a difference at a nonprofit, The choice is yours. Explore the range of possibilities–this should be fun, not scary! It is worth the effort! BUT, You’ll need a plan…

YourOnRamp recommends:

1. Clear the decks! Deliberately set aside time and space where you can focus without the multitude of interruptions that often cloud your days. (Mom, I forgot my homework…!). Spend focused time every day on YourOnRamp “project.” That means dodging the e-mail black hole, saying no to volunteer requests that do not contribute to your effort, and outsourcing non-essential chores.

2. Gather the right tools. If you don’t have the cool new iPhone, Blackberry or the equivalent, now is the time to invest in one. You want to be organized, efficient and up to date on the technology that is now ubiquitous in the workplace.

3. Devote time to complete a Self Assessment. This is often the deal stopper. Don’t let it trip you up! This is a valuable opportunity to recognize what you enjoy doing and when you feel the most successful and fulfilled. We have great tools to help you understand yourself, how you define a balanced life and where you will best contribute.

4. Develop an Elevator Pitch. This is your 1 to 2 minute description of yourself and your job objective (if you have one). It is an essential tool for networking.

5. Build a Network. This is the most important aspect of your onramp effort. Your chances of getting a job are much better when you know someone at the company. We make networking easy.

6. Get Educated. Research ideas, industries, companies, people, you name it, there is unlimited information available with a few key strokes. YourOnRamp, is a great place to gather information. Learn about Back to School programs at top business schools. Visit our newsroom and library. Our blog and discuss topics are all designed to help you get up to speed.

7. Compile your Resume. Need help presenting your work and volunteer experiences in a meaningful and effective way? We can help turn this chore into art. You should also compile a list of references.

8. Craft Cover Letters. Yes, you need them! They go hand in hand with your resume and are an essential communication tool, persuasively matching your prior experience to your future career goals.

9. Prepare for Interviews. Preparation is the key to successful interviewing. What questions will I need to answer? How should I explain my time away from the workplace? What if my skills are outdated? Look the part. Ditch the 1980s Brooks Brothers suit and update your wardrobe (what a great excuse for that new fab outfit!)

10. Ask for the Order. E-mail a prompt thank you highlighting your interest and qualifications for the job. If you want the job, ask for it and tell them why you’re the one for the job. Don’t be shy.

Follow our plan and in no time you’ll be on your way to a new flexible career that works for your life.

For more ideas on how to onramp, offramp or just manage your day-to-day at home or at work please come visit us at YourOnRamp.

Technorati Tags: motherhood, career, jobs, flexible jobs, youronramp, how to, tips for getting a job, family-friendly jobs

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We here at Glam love Apartment Therapy so much we were jumping up and down when Lisa Brand, founding editor of the Apartment Therapy: San Francisco, agreed to ante up a guest post featuring 10 tricks for transforming your living space.

The San Francisco-based design writer, creative director, yoga teacher, and mommy recently left to do her own thing. Meanwhile, she reminisces her Apartment Therapy past with these superb tips.

Lisa Brand

Ten Easy Tricks for Transforming your Living Space
by Lisa Brand

Not all of us have the proverbial room with a view, so to keep things lively on the inside, here are ten easy tricks for transforming your living space:

1. Repaint, with color: Like music, color can work some major mojo. Generally speaking, warm shades (reds, oranges) are energizing and cool shades (greens, blues) are calming. Don’t stress about whether you’ve got the exact right shade; you won’t really know how a color makes a room feel until you lived with it for a while. If you decide it isn’t right you can always paint over it. Or, limit the color to a single wall, playing it off the neutral white of the rest of the room. Some paint collections that take a bit of the guesswork away: Yolo, Martha Stewart/Lowe’s, and Devine.

from Martha Stewart and Lowes

2. Throw away as much as possible. Clutter is the undoing of many a wonderful space. Cull through your stuff and have no mercy. If you have trouble deciding what to get rid of, make a dated list of the items you’re unsure of, stash them in a closet or basement, and keep the list on your fridge as a reminder. Anything you’re not pining for after a year should be freecycled or offered up on craigslist.

3. Add wheels: Mount your furniture on wheels so that you can reconfigure a room on the fly. Casters come with a wide variety of mounts and in a wide array of styles, materials and colors. Some great sources: the House of Antique Hardware, Cool Casters.com, Mockett.com. and Closet-Masters.com.

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from CoolCasters.com

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4. Play with light: Add plug-in dimmer attachments to fixtures so that you can dial the mood down at night. Add atmosphere with a light sculpture like Adam Frank’s Lumen Tree or Bitters Co.’s Basket Lamps. And if the room has a flat-panel TV, make it work double-time by tricking it out with a screen that will turn the picture into a dancing pattern. Try TV2Art.

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Bitter Co’s Basket Lamps

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5. Organize artfully: make sense of paper, magazines, and odds and ends by organizing them in open bins that are attractive enough to keep out and at hand. Give a prized collection its due by devoting some wall or shelf space to it, and then light it well with spots. Some attractive organizers: Mio SoftBowls, Ikea’s Knuff Bins, and Umbra’s Crunch Baskets.

6. Think outside the frame: there’s nothing like large-scale art on your walls to add drama. You don’t need a month’ salary for a huge canvas: try blowing up a photo or illustration using The Rasterbator (the cheap way), or photo2canvas (the more expensive way). Or, get inspired by the amazing creations of the UK’s Surface View, and add a mural. Make it easier by using stencils (try Stencil1 or The Stencil Library), removable vinyl stickers (try Domestic Wall Vynil), or a combination.

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Surface View Stencil

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7. Slipcovers: To add color or the energizing splash of a print to upholstered furniture, use a staple gun to re-cover chair cushions. Very high quality upholstery fabric in remainder sizes for small projects can be had for a song on eBay. For larger projects, use custom slipcovers made by a local tailor or off-the-shelf Bemz (if you have Ikea upholstery). Another cheap trick: a collection of throw pillows in interesting textures and colors. A good online source: Pillows and Throws.com.

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Bemz Slip Covers

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8. Add living things. Instantly refresh a room by bringing in potted trees, easy-to-care-for succulents, and bowls and vases of fresh flowers or leaves.

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9. Make a single bold move. A room filled with many small items like pillows, knick-knacks and photo frames can create a feeling of internal mayhem. Anchor the room by creating a single focal point out of something that you love: a huge mirror, a vintage find, a large- scale piece of art (see #6), or even an accent chair upholstered in a very strong print or color. A bold gesture will focus the eye and infuse the room with warmth and new personality.

10. Lighten up the floor plan. Can you move about the room easily? Is there room for quick little dance if the mood strikes? Scale down both the amount and size of your furniture. Empty space gives us room to breathe.

Technorati Tags: apartment therapy, apartmenttherapy.com, lisa brand, how to, decor tips, lighting, floor plan, good indoor paint colors, lighting ideas, wall stencils, giant photos

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I was raised by a packrat. Seriously. In my house opening the freezer door would result in an avalanche and a whimsical pirouette would send stacks of papers flying in all directions. As a result I grew into a very orderly adult–until I had a baby. Now I’m sitting at a desk with high rises of books and bills and just enough room to wedge my laptop in between. And I hate it.

But this week’s guest blogger, Julie Bonner of DeclutterIt.com, gives me hope–and great insight into how to get out from under. Unless you’re Felix Unger this is a definite must read.

Read on to see for yourself, check out DeclutterIt.com for more wonderful tips, and many thanks to Julie for the following fantastic post. I’m implementing step 1 this weekend when Viva gets her birthday presents.

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Your home should be your haven. I am sure you have heard that saying before, but it’s so true. After you have been at work and the kids have been at school all day, your home is the place to come and feel safe, to relax and to just enjoy the family.

If you wake up every morning and come home every night to a cluttered home that shoots your blood pressure through the roof, then something needs to change. You should not be working for your home; your home should be working for you!

I know getting rid of clutter is hard and I also know it can not and will not happen over night. After all, it didn’t get that way in just a few hours. Here are a few tips that are supposed to help get you started in the right direction. They are meant to give you a foundation of how an uncluttered home stays that way.

10 Tips to De-clutter Your Life

1. Use the one toy in, one toy out rule.
We need to teach our kids as early as possible how to keep a space uncluttered and how important it is to let go of things that we don’t use or don’t need anymore. So before a birthday or Christmas, tell your kids it’s time to make room for the new toys that will be coming in. Make it fun and a learning tool by having them donate their unwanted toys to a shelter. Trust me, they will feel very good about themselves.

2. After you are done with what you are using, put it back where it belongs.
Is anyone feeling like they are back in kindergarten? Lol! This is a great rule to follow and it does help keep the clutter in the home under control.

3. Give every item a home.
I guess it’s hard to put something back where it belongs if it has no home right? Very true! That is one of the biggest reasons why people’s spaces are so cluttered, everything is just laying out in the open because you have no idea where it goes. Find everything a home and then make sure it makes it back there.

4. Look up, think vertically for storage.
Get as many things up off the floor as you can. Use shelves and bookcases as storage in offices, playrooms, bedrooms and living areas. Put pictures up on the wall instead of on a table where it’s crowding the space. Use that floor to ceiling space when it comes to storage. It helps a room look much less cluttered.

5. Don’t let the mail over-run your kitchen or dining room table.
Throw junk mail away immediately. Don’t let it pile up and sit there for weeks and months. It then becomes a monster that you don’t know how to deal with.

6. Don’t over crowd a room with too much furniture.
Over sized furniture in a small room or too much furniture can make a room look very cluttered. Only have the essential pieces. Get rid of the rest.

7. Instead of impulse buying, keep a wish list.
Is your kitchen cluttered with the latest kitchen gadgets? If you have a habit of impulse buying and you pick up the phone and dial that number for the latest toy, write it down on a wish list instead. If in a few months you still find yourself needing it, then buy it. Just be sure to get rid of something else first!

8. Do a quick pick-up every morning and night. Get the family to help.
I don’t like to wake up to a mess or come home to a mess. Always make sure you scan your house real quick before you leave for work or hit the sack for any items that are out of place. Before our kids go to bed, we make them take anything of theirs that’s in the living room to their bedrooms. It’s amazing what a 5 minute quick pick-up can do for a place.

9. When you de-clutter a room, enlist the help of a friend or professional.
It is much easier to let go of things and make decisions with someone’s help. A friend or professional can help talk you through why you should get rid of something or maybe hold on to it. Letting go of clutter is not easy. Asking for help does not mean you are a failure, it means you are smart and know that 2 is better than 1.

10.Try to remember that life is not about the things we buy, but about the people we share it with.
I would give up everything I own for my family. I want to make sure that I help create the best home possible for them. I want them to know that they mean more to me than any piece of clothing or furniture. If clutter gets in the way of your relationships, then it’s time for a change.

Technorati Tags: clutter tips, cleaning tips, how to declutter your life, home, advice, declutter it.com, Julie Bonner

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