There is definitely a reason why black and white bathroom is still among the favorites. Whatever you are going to put in there, they would totally get along really well with the black and white base. From modern to vintage, urban to contemporary, black and white are quite reliable as color foundation. This would surely benefit you if you are planning to redecorate your bathroom later without getting rid of the dominant elements.
A sense of past is pretty noticeable here, with white pedestal tub, custom leaded glass window with black lines and curves, and an antique wooden drawer stood by the wall. Black scheme is less dominant than the white scheme, but it is undeniably eye-catching as it is applied on the ceiling rims and polka dots flooring.
Black-trimmed windows are installed in this kitchen to let the sun light in stroking the white tub and black and white flooring. The window trims are looking so fabulous as the sun light hits its surface, creating a relaxing illumination while you are soaking in the tub as the sun starts setting outside. Placing black-framed photograph near the faucet can incredibly draw you back to memories you always want to keep in your heart, while turquoise ceiling is somehow a bit more attractive to see.
If you are expecting to have more intensified black elements in your bathroom, then you can pick up a black rug with white border, black-trimmed white cotton shower curtain, and black and white wallpaper in any pattern you like. Only by bringing in those three stuff, you can invite more black to your monochromatic bathroom.
If you are asking about what shades that can flow naturally with the black and white bathroom, then it should be gray. Gray can bridge the gap between black and white so it would not like you make a bold stroke in the color palette, with lack of relevance between the shades. So, why not trying to paint your bathroom’s walls with the right shade of gray?
Last but not least, besides gray, there is another fascinating color that can look incredibly gorgeous in black and white bathroom, and that is red. Put ornaments or decorative objects inside your bathroom, and let it bring a dramatic look to the whole room. Red Curtain, towels put on the shelf and toys are perfect.
My husband was in London for business last week and I asked if he could pretty please make a stop at Orla Kiely and pick up this stem print mug I'd been coveting. It's the only thing there I can afford and I couldn't bring myself to actually pay to have it shipped from the UK. Now, my husband is very sweet and in the beginning of our dating life was even a bit of a romantic, but, as with most couples, we've sort of settled into our less romantic, but satisfying life together. So it's especially a thrill when he does make an unexpected romantic gesture. Apparently the mug I wanted was not for sale in their store as that print/color combo was "out of season." Undeterred, my husband picked out a different beautiful mug for me and asked if they had anything else in the print I liked. Why yes, they did - a lovely wallet! It just so happens that the $8 street fair wallet I've had for the past few years has recently come unsewn and I've been dropping change on the floors of every store in Manhattan and Brooklyn I've set foot in. I don't want to know how much this Orla wallet costs - I'm just going to appreciate it and the gesture! (And the cute fabric bag the mug came in).
In other, less consumer news, we'll know in about a week whether we're having a baby girl, boy or a llama. Fingers crossed for the llama!
Wow they are pricey. I haven't heard of this brand before. You have a lovely dh to get you those things for you.
Birth really is a human rights issue. How do we get the idea of that across and work on making changes so that all mothers and babies have an optimal birth? Is a day coming when every motherbaby will receive these birth rights: access to good food, clean water and loving care? When motherbaby has access to an optimal and hopefully miraculous birth, we will see our world change, and I believe we will live on a more peaceful and loving planet.
There was a panel at Michel Odent’s conference (that I was privileged to take part in) called, “Birth in 2050.” I will attempt to give you my ideas about birth 40 years from now. Let’s see if we can turn the tide in the next two generations so that birth trauma is mostly a thing of the past and the ones who follow us do not have to consider birth an unfulfilled human rights issue.
Taking the pessimistic view of birth in 2050, I would have to say that nearly all births will be by cesarean. But I am going to take the optimistic view of birth in 2050, because we all are working hard to change birth practices, and many people are waking up to the power birth has to transform mother and baby, family and society. There are so many of us working so hard to change the birth world that I have to believe I have dedicated my life to something that will bear fruit. Hopefully, it already has.
I have found social networking to be a very powerful tool for implementing the types of changes we will need to ensure that birth has its place in the list of human rights issues. I have found midwives and activists all over the world through sites like Facebook and Twitter. Our Midwifery Today fan page on Facebook now has more than 10,000 fans. Our marketing whiz, Donna, keeps it active by posting articles and notes. Our International Alliance of Midwives page has 4,000 fans and we encourage conversations and networking there, as well as posting articles. I have a couple thousand friends and my Twitter notes go into my Facebook page. This morning I had a lovely Facebook chat with our country contact from Nepal. She works in a rural area and wants to have a midwifery organization. She works with Safe Motherhood. This is all rather new and quite amazing. Every time I friend someone, or they friend me, I find they know hundreds of other birth doulas, midwives and activists.
Midwifery Today is doing our part in other ways, too. We do conferences two or three times per year. Please join us. Midwifery Today magazine is quarterly and is a super compilation of articles from some of the greatest birth minds around. Please subscribe. Midwifery Today E-News is free and comes out every two weeks. We also publish books for midwives, doulas and educators.
All of you, our readers, are working very diligently in your sphere of influence. Let’s ponder how we can really influence and change birth practices. There are so many of us now. Much of the evidence we need is already out there, and more is coming to light daily. We are all doing a lot with the little time we have, but what else can we do during the course of our day? I like to wear a Midwifery Today or other birth shirt and when anyone asks me, “Are you a midwife?” I have a little talk ready.
You mostly have the power to have a great birth. Prenatal care is what you do between visits to your midwife or doctor. Eat seafood and be happy! Eat from a wide variety of sources and get plenty of protein. Salt your food to taste. Guard your heart and mind. Don’t let negative birth stories enter.
Remember, everything you ingest and all tests (including ultrasound) affect you and your baby. Question everything anyone wants to do to you or your baby.
Birth is well designed by our creator to work—birth works! We have learned what holds up labor: if it’s not a physiological problem, it is psychological. Cultural influences, like the television show, “A Baby Story,” have a huge impact on a woman’s mind-set. We are inundated with bad images and stories. This means we midwives and doctors must work hard against these old belief systems. Ina May Gaskin tells pregnant women, “No bad birth stories.” If someone tries to tell you one, let them know you are pregnant and are not to be polluted by a bad birth story.
People learn about birth beginning when they are young, and images are formed. We need to constantly teach how birth is supposed to work, beginning when our children are very young. What are the best ways to approach this? Young women have babies. We need to influence them before they have made up their minds to go for interventive practices or, worse yet, not made up their minds but just floated into the mainstream’s version of birth. Remember what is at stake here: our future, the future of our children and grandchildren and, indeed, the future of our world.
Okay everyone, we have 40 years. Let’s make a plan and carry it out. Robbie Davis-Floyd says that if we can hit critical mass, it will get done. Critical mass means that 20% of the people understand that birth matters and influence the people in their sphere of influence, who pass the information to their social network, and so on.
We need to plan to change the direction faster if we only have 40 years. Let’s tell good baby stories. Media is changing and it is in the hands of everyone with a camera. Your video can be put on YouTube, where it will likely help influence the younger generations. We are holding a short video contest to encourage people’s creativity in movie-making to change birth. The deadline is August 10, 2010. Read about the contest here: midwiferytoday.com/conferences/contest
Sitting at my desk in the Midwifery Today office, I am inundated with articles from all over the world—from Belize, Mexico, Canada, Brazil and France and other countries—and all say how awful and mostly dangerous hospital practices are in their part of the world. These are horrendous birth stories, but often the same writer learned and followed up with a great birth—most after they found a caring midwife. Many of these writers became midwives or doulas themselves to change birth or at least to make it better for one motherbaby, one birth at a time.
These issues remind me of the story of the little girl and the starfish: The little girl was walking along a beach strewn with thousands of starfish. She was throwing starfish that had washed ashore back into the ocean, saving their lives. A man came along and asked her, “What does it matter? You cannot save all of these starfish.” The little girl held up a starfish, said, “It matters for this one,” and threw it back into the ocean. With all of us working, one motherbaby at a time, we can do it. Birth in 2050 will be a miraculous passage—just as it was meant to be!
Posted in Free Articles, Midwifery Today Articles Tagged birth, editorial, father, homebirth, Issue 94, Jan Tritten, midwife, mother, parents