Great Wines to Collect

A hobby more and more people are getting into is the collecting of wines. You don't have to collect high dollar wines to have a cool collection. Some people collect wines from countries they long to visit or have spent time in, other collect wines by their artfully produced labels. How you would like to put together your collection is an individual choice.

You will just need to know the basics for reading a wine label in order to get educated on the types of wines you wish to have in your collection. There is a good amount of information about a wine- but very little on the label will tell you how it will taste - you can get a good idea if a wine is fruity or not from the class it is in.

First of all the wine label will tell you the brand of wine. If you have a particular brand you enjoy collecting, this may be all the information you need.
The class of a wine is a little more indepth. It is mandatory that all wines have a class that identifies the contents within the bottle.

Class 1 Table Wine having an alcohol content of not less than 7% and not
in excess of 14% by volume.

Class 2 Sparkling Wine made by any one of numerous methods

Class 3 Carbonated Grape Wine (wine exclusively made by injection of
carbon dioxide.

Class 4 Citrus Wine - Sangria is usually bottled as a Class 4.|

Class 5 Fruit Wine - made from other ripe fruits such as Cherry Wine.

Class 6 Wine from Other Agricultural Products such as Mead made from
honey or fermented vegetable wines.

Class 7 Aperitif Wine - which is very strong. Having an alcoholic content
of not less than 15 percent by volume, compounded from grape wine
containing added brandy or alcohol, flavored with herbs and other
natural aromatic flavoring materials.

Class 8 Imitation Wine.

Class 9 Retsina Wine which is grape table wine fermented or flavored with
.
Where your wine was bottled may have a good deal to do with your collection, for example if you have fond memories of Italy and only collect Italian wines. There are wineries all over the United States and California's Napa Valley is famous for their fruity and delicious wines.

If you're going to collect wines, display your bottles in a wine rack that can also do double duty holding glasses and other items. When you buy wines for your collection, pick up a couple of extra bottles now and then and stash them aside. Then invite your friends over for a wine tasting party and use those extra bottles for a taste test - it's a fun way to spend an evening and reading each other's descriptions of the wines out loud is usually filled with comedic moments.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Throw a Smorgasbord

Looking for a new way to have a gathering for your favorite friends and family over that is low-key and easy on the host and the hostess? Go Smorgasbord!

A smorgasbord is an easy way to have a get together that will allow each guest to fill their plates and get the items they want as well as skip the items they don't want. You can have a theme such as all Italian dishes like spaghetti and lasagna, Chinese favorites like fried rice, eggrolls and stir fry or include a "Mom's Home Cooking" night that has old comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, corn on the cob and more.

Presenting a smorgasbord is easy. Just have the plates and silverware (or chopsticks if you're going for Asian cuisine); and you can use a buffet or sideboard to hold the various dishes, breads and a small table for holding plates and silverware. Whether you're using separate places to hold your appetizers, main entrees, sides and dessert items is entirely up to you. Some people prefer to mix and match while others perfect to lay out the courses separately.

And that's the beauty of a smorgasbord, it's casual and how it is arranged is entirely up the host or hostess. The small amount of preparation that is involved gives a person throwing the party time to enjoy the fun instead of constantly running back and forth to the kitchen. Enjoy your next gathering and throw a smorgasbord!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Safety Tips for Your Valuables When You're Not Home

Don't think because you live in a "good" neighborhood that you're immune to crime. Matter of fact, that is exactly where the criminals go. If you decide to go on vacation with your family, you have probably arranged for a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail, feed your dog and otherwise keep an eye on your home, but have you considered what to do with your valuables?

There are a lot of clever ways to hide your valuables around your home so even if your home is breached by a burglar, if you put your valuables out of sight - changes are that you won't lose things near and dear to your heart.

Televisions, cameras and other electronics are prime targets. There isn't a lot you can do to hide your television or stereo but you can put smaller electronics such as DVD players, CD players and your camera in places a potential thief won't look such as rolled inside of a sleeping bag in your garage or in a box in your attic.

If you have valuable jewelry and you do not own a safety deposit box, the old trick of putting your good jewelry in your fridge or freezer is a well known one and many criminals know to riffle through and look for those items. Instead, use a good jewelry box or armoire and place it inside of a dirty clothes hamper with some clothing thrown on top will usually keep your jewelry safe while you're enjoying your vacation.

Use these simple steps to make sure your valuables are safe and sound during your next vacation.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

A Sleekly Styled Bedroom

It's a known fact that clutter tends to make most people nervous. If your bedroom has become more of a clutter room with knick-knacks,laundry and more just strewn around - no wonder you can't sleep well at night.

Make your bedroom a place to retreat to and you can do it without making a huge monetary investment. It's more about wisely using your space rather than changing out each and every item in a room.

First of all - start with your bed. If you have laundry all over your head board and alongside your bed area - it's time to get organized. You may need more storage space. If you do, consider a platform bed. They have sleek lines and the mattress is laid upon a flat platform.

You can use the drawers beneath the platform bed for more storage. Next get rid of the laundry. Go through your basket and if it's out of season, pack it. Otherwise hang it up. Then go through your bric-a-brac and decide to either put it on a shelf or two on your walls or put it away. If you have items in the floor - give them the same treatment - if you use it every day - find a place to put it that isn't in the floor or on a table and if the item is something you really don't need - give it away or pack it up.

If you have a hectic lifestyle that keeps you running, take your phone off the hook, turn off the cell phone and television, enlist your kid's help and once a week give you rooms the once over - it will not only instill great habits in your kids - you'll sleep a lot easier!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Looking for a Good Seat? Try a Bean Bag!

If you need a little extra seating space in a child's room or a dorm room and there just isn't room for traditional chair or it will look awkward; consider adding a bean bag to your room.

Beans bags have come a long way from the their early makes and models that all but guaranteed a billion little Styrofoam balls all over your floor, clothing and anything that made contact with them. And many people remember the joys of trying to clean those little balls out of the grooves of their wooden flooring. If the word "bean bag" makes you cringe with those memories, breathe easy - the bean bags you get today aren't made to spill open and in fact have some fail safes in their design to help stop that long time problem bean bags had.

You can get bean bags made for any sized individuals and with the number of both adults and children playing video games, there's even a lounger designed bean bag that will allow for a comfortable seat as well as bag support.

Different fabrics are used as well. Heavy duty upholstery fabrics that range from a leather look to velveteen for a soft cushy seat will fit right in to any room and won't take up space when not in use. The traditional bean bag can be placed under a bed or table; or spirited away to a closet until needed.

If you need an extra seat that will always be available when you need it, think:bean bag!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs