If you are a fan of a certain holiday movie that focuses on one man’s goal to have the brightest house in the neighborhood, you probably remember the web of electric wires and cords that posed a serious risk. In the movie, it was funny. In real life, it is no joke. It can be deadly or at the very least cause a home fire that could destroy everything and even spread to other homes in the neighborhood. Electricity should always be handled with the utmost care explains an electrician in Santa Monica. The team at The Electric Connection has a few tips to ensure your holiday lights do not cause a blackout or a fire.

1. Check the cords before you wrap them around a tree or put them outside. Make sure there are no broken areas that expose the wiring and could let moisture in. 5. Keep the number of strands you connect together to a minimum. Ideally, you should never connect more than three strands.

Your Santa Monica electrician suggests you invest in LEDs that are very bright, but use very little electricity. This is a way for you to get the full effect of a thousand lights, but only have to use a few hundred that use the energy of maybe 100. Your electric bill and your house’s power will thank you. You will also feel safer knowing you are not creating an electrical hazard. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you need extra outlets installed or have other questions.

If you’re like me, you have a favorable reaction to yachts, perhaps without ever having stepped foot on one. I have absolutely no idea how I will one day acquire a yacht. All I know is that yachts and I are destined to be together some way, somehow. This amorous examination of yacht lighting exists, yes, because there are interesting things to note about yacht lighting design, but, if I’m totally honest, we’re in the dog days of summer; I’m landlocked; and I want to stare at yachts. Do you want to stare at yachts, too? Let’s stare at yachts in all their luminous glory.

1. In A Word, Yes. 

I am sucker for underwater lights. In pools, in little water features and ponds, they just make me smile. But beaming into a foreign sea from the hull of a yacht? I am slain (in a good way). Of course, that’s not the only amazing thing about the yacht lighting situation above. While the lights are illuminating the sea on either side of our vessel, whaddaya say we project the sea life around us onto this huge sail? OK, great!

I mean, seriously?! Are you seriously watching the sea life around your yacht as it’s projected onto a giant screen in the middle of the beautiful sea with starlight and moonlight above you and light beams shooting out of either side of your vessel? Yes? Well OK, then. I guess I would, too, if I were you.

2. Outdoor Recessed Lights

What an amazing night time mood these recessed lights lend this yacht. I love the way the fixtures form scallops of light along the side of the cabin, especially because the reflective surface of the yacht amplifies the light levels. Very nice via Charter World

And it also says, Come hither thou and hangeth out on me. Basically, these lighting designers have gotten it right. What looks better against the soft night sky than lights with a via Charter World

Those recessed light fixtures with single and multiple lamps are a great choice for this yacht living room/control center/spaceship dashboard. The top level is evenly lit, and the lower level, with its crisp light, invites the eye and the whole body, actually. Take me to Greenland, Captain! If you need me, I will be luxuriating.

7. Cove Lighting!

Custom Electrical Services has electricians in Altoona Iowa ready to for all your electrical needs.  Need a light bulb changed we can help!  Need your whole house rewired?  We can help!  Custom Electrical Services can handle your Altoona electrical project no matter what the size.  From the simplest of task to the most lavish we can help!

Have a weekend or late night electrical emergency?  We have staff on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  You can speak to a live person no matter what the time is at 515-669-3418.  Or if you would like a call back during standard business time you can use are online form submission and we will return your call asap!

Rest assured your electrical project in Altoona will be in the most skilled hands possible with our electricians.  Our electricians take pride in there work and can handle any Altoona electrical project possible.  We have Master and Journeyman electricians on call and ready to help you with your Altoona electrical project today!  Same day service in most cases!

Custom Electrical Services has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.  We take pride in our work and always make customer service a top priority!  Our electricians in Altoona will make sure you are completely satisfied with your electrical project.

Go with who professional contractors and contractors alike choose.  Go with Custom Electrical Services for your next Altoona electrical project.  Custom Electrical Services currently wires over 250 new construction homes in the central Iowa.  From Ankeny, to Norwalk, from Waukee, to Altoona and all of central Iowa.  We cover central Iowa’s electrical needs 24/7.  Some of Iowa’s top general contractors use Custom Electrical Services.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide Series. Last week we looked at great ideas for the custom bobble heads designed to look like the recipients are a fun gag gift that is guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind.

If your active grandparent hasn’t discovered the outrageously fun sport that I can only describe as a cross between tennis and ping pong, then gifting them with their own bluetooth tracking tag that hooks onto your keyring (or anything you find yourself losing often) solves the problem brilliantly. Use this little gadget to locate your phone with the push of a button. Or, locate your keys using an app on your smart phone. 

But what if your grandparent doesn’t have a smart phone or device? Get them one! My parents love to sit down with their tablet and look at photos of my children that we send them digitally. You can find tablets and e-readers for less than $100 these days.   

As we age, eyesight diminishes and adequate lighting becomes more important than ever. If your grandparent enjoys curling up with a good book, reading the morning newspaper, or knitting sweaters, a stylish night lights that match their decor or motion activated this one in the shape of a tree ring. There are a number of online resources that will help you uncover your ancestry. Once you’re finished, a battery operated Blurb.com or head down to your local drugstore to have your book made.

Do you have an epic entertainer in your family or circle of friends? Come back next week to get great ideas on holiday gifts for your favorite host or hostess.

*Prices and availability are subject to change.

1.  Size and install smartly:  Whether you are installing a crystal chandelier over your dining room table or as a central design feature in your master bedroom, the diameter and height of your fixture must be in proportion to other items in the room.  The diameter of a dining table fixture should be 12 inches less than the diameter of the dining table.  The height of the chandelier should allow for a clearance of 30 inches from table top to the bottom of the fixture.

Quoizel’s “Tricia” chandelier adds elegance to this contemporary dining room.  * Interior design by Sandra D’Amata International, Inc.

If your crystal chandelier will be a central focal point in your foyer, living room or master bedroom, take into account your ceiling height and choose a chandelier that may be installed to leave at least a 7-foot clearance from the floor to the bottom of the chandelier.

2.  Reflect Resplendence:  The true beauty in a crystal chandelier extends far past the light source, decorative finishing and crystal configuration.  Crystal facets reflect and refract a brilliant array of colors and illuminating effects, especially when combined with sunlight and/or electric light sources.  Matte finishes on furniture and surrounding walls work well with crystal illumination.  Avoid creating glare and unflattering shadows off metallic or shiny surfaces.

3.  Choose the Right Bulb: Most chandelier bulbs will be candelabra-based, yet what type of candelabra bulb you choose will make a tremendous difference in both the total presentation of your chandelier and the overall illumination in your room.

Crystorama’s “Mercer” chandelier–installed with dimmable LED candelabra bulbs–provides magnificent illumination in this master bathroom.*

Frosted bulbs provide a more subdued illumination. They are recommended for most traditional dining room chandeliers.  Clear bulbs work well with chrome finished retro-modern chandeliers and may add to the radiant sparkle of modern crystal chandeliers.

For a more traditional look, flame tip bulbs are the right choice.  Flame tip bulbs also look best in chandeliers with faux drip-candle holders.  Torpedo bulbs are less tapered and present a contemporary look.  Round bulbs add an eclectic vibe to a traditional chandelier.  Uniquely-shaped and/or textured candelabra bulbs may add a custom-designed artistry to your chandelier.