June 2013

The best way to start dressing any window is to figure out what treatment options are going to work for the window style. Do you need panels on either side of the window to dress up the look or do you need functioning draperies for privacy?

Hardware options are limitless; decorative metal rods and rings can work for a more contemporary look, while wood rods and rings have a warmer traditional look. Drapery panel pleat styles also vary depending on the treatment; use a grommet top for a contemporary look or a French pleat to achieve the traditional style.

Traversing draperies are used to cover an entire window when needed and stack back to one side or split in the middle when they are open. Usually these draperies start above the window and end at the floor with either a puddle for a more traditional look or about a half inch above the floor for a cleaner look. These draperies can run on a battery operated motor or they can be opened and closed with a manual operation, either a wand or chain mechanism.

For a traditional arched top window, try a fun arched fixed panel drapery with medallions mirroring the curve of the window. This will give the illusion that the arch and window are larger than they really are. Add a swag to the front of a fixed panel or between panels to dress up the design.
A valance or cornice box can be used to hide a combination of treatments on one window. This valance should be proportionate to the window it is covering. The treatments below drapery panels, roman shades, or blinds should not be squished or floating freely behind the valance.

Making sure the treatments work together with each other and that they look appropriate in the room is going to make or break the look of the window treatment. Window treatment designs are endless. Find a style that fits your needs and talk to a designer about different, fun options!

Genetic testing for breast cancer risk: It’s been out there since the mid-nineties, but very infrequently discussed in the open. There is a myriad of reasons, but probably the most important is the unthinkable consequence of knowing.

One option is preventive mastectomy, the surgery to remove breasts while removing almost all risk of breast cancer. Think of cultural pressures where breasts are seemingly more than what nature intended. They are ogled, enhanced, and “sexified” in a way that creates body image miracles and body image insecurities. Angelina Jolie may be helping to change that. The beautiful actress, whose body has been admired in many different ways, has a new one. One she is pretty much sure is not going to be ravaged by breast cancer.

She writes in the New York Times;

My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.

Jolie, in this Op Ed piece, shares the fact she has completed a double mastectomy and re-constructive surgery. Does it make sense that she has given us an act of courage in sharing information? Jolie says she had genetic testing which showed she carried a gene that doctors estimate gave her an 87% risk of breast cancer and 50% risk of ovarian cancer, of which her mother died.

Jolie continued;

For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.

All seems to make good sense, but let’s visit the caveats. Many insurance companies don’t cover the cost of genetic testing and still others balk at the cost of reconstruction saying it is merely “cosmetic” or “aesthetic.” So it makes sense that women and their families should check with their doctor about the desirability of testing.

Information can’t be a bad thing. It makes sense to thank Angelina Jolie for being strong, public, and starting a discussion. We should be able to talk about this, out from the shadows of isolation. And again, we, as a society, should focus on adjusting our health care system from one that “pays for treatment” to one that also “covers prevention.” Does that make sense?