How to Live with White Walls?

In many apartments, you are not allowed to paint the walls. It is also hard to put many decorations on the walls without damaging them.  Here are some great tips on how to live with white walls, and how to bring some life to them.  Plants are great because they can be moved around and bring some color into your room.





Plants — they not only bring bring life and clean air into your home, but they're also an easy way to naturally add color to an otherwise white space. You can still get pops of color and texture in your home without using paint or wall covering — just add plants.

Plus, they're not permanent, you can move them around, plant them in a new pot, they'll grow flowers for even more color — and it's nearly impossible to make a decorating mistake with plants. Here are some great examples of plants in white rooms.

For more information see Apartment Therapy.

Let's Go Tigers!

The University of Memphis Tigers will take on the St. Mary's Gaels Thursday as part of the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament.   You can read more about the game below or at SportsChatPlace.

The Memphis Tigers and St. Mary’s Gaels meet in the 2^nd round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. 

Memphis won the Conference USA Championship and finished 30-4 overall and 16-0 in conference play.  Memphis appeared in the tournament last year and lost in the second round to Saint Louis.  Head Coach Josh Pastner is 0-2 in two appearances in the Big Dance.  The Tigers were unbeaten in C-USA play for the fourth time in seven seasons.  Joe Jackson tops the team in scoring and assists, averaging 13.8 points and 4.9 assists per game.  Jackson has also improved his three-point shooting over the last season, shooting 49.3% this season.  The Tigers also boast the league’s sixth man of the year in junior Chris Crawford, who averages 9.3 points per game.  The Tigers are very efficient from the floor, shooting 37.9% from three-point range and 47.9% from the field, however; their 66.7% mark from the free throw line ranks 260^th in the country.  Memphis has defeated notable teams such as Tennessee, Ohio, and Southern Miss this year. 
 
The St. Mary’s Gaels won the opening round game over Middle Tennessee State and will advance to the second round of the tournament.  The Gaels finished the season 27-6 overall and 14-2 in the West Coast Conference.  Head Coach Randy Bennett is 2-4 in four appearances in the NCAA tournament.  After an anxious week on the bubble, the Gaels have back-to-back NCAA bids.  G Mathhew Dellavedova will be the key, as he has been through his career.  His teammates played well in the opening round, but they might not be able to give him enough help against a physical perimeter defensive team, one reason they lost to Gonzaga three times.  Dellavedova is averaging 16.5 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game, while Stephen Holt chips in with 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.  St. Mary’s lost to Gonzaga multiple times but they did beat Creighton, Pacific, and BYU this season. 

St. Mary’s looked good in their opening round game, but Memphis will be a much bigger obstacle for the Gaels to overcome.  Memphis has faced some quality guards this year and they have an outstanding one of their own in Jackson.  The St. Mary’s doesn’t have enough talent across the board to hang with this Memphis team.  This could turn into a track meet and I’ll take Memphis to win comfortably in the end.  

DIY Drink Place Holders

Are you having a St. Patrick's Day Party, or are you attending one?  These DIY Crafts are super easy to make, and they will help you figure out whose drink is whose.  All you need is some different color card stock, scissors, and straws.   You can follow the directions below and make the straws in different colors.  This way you know what drink belongs to everyone.  For more great DIY St. Patty's Day crafts, you can click on Martha Stewart.



As a nod to Saint Patrick's Day, let your kids create their own luck with four-leaf-clover straw toppers. Shamrocks fashioned from green card stock make for an instantly festive table.

Tools and Materials

Card stock
Scissors
Bendable drinking straws, in green

Shamrock Straw Toppers How-To

1. Cut card stock into 5-inch squares.
2. Fold each square in half diagonally, creating a triangle, and then fold in half once more to make a smaller triangle. Trim off outer points as indicated.
3. Unfold paper halfway, as shown. Cut a small V at the bottom, in the center.
4. Unfold shamrock, and crease diagonally, reversing the direction of the fold; repeat to make another diagonal crease. Slide card-stock shamrock onto one end of a green straw. Make a wish, and have a sip!

Women's History Month at the University of Memphis

March is Women's History Month and the University of Memphis will be celebrating the occasion with more than 20 events scheduled over the next few weeks.  You can learn about women's history to famous Tiger Alumni in the various events around campus.  Check out the list of events below, and you can find out more at memphis.edu.

Women’s History Month will be observed at the University of Memphis with more than 20 events that will celebrate “Women Making History Every Day,” which is the theme for this year’s observance. Setting the tone will be the March 1 opening event, “A Personal Journey Through Women’s History.”

The luncheon, from noon to 2 p.m., in the University Center Ballroom, will feature a presentation by Dr. Janann Sherman, chair of the U of M History Department. Dr. Sherman will share her own story as a chronicler of history, especially women’s history and politics in 20th century America. Dr. Sherman’s research and books have explored the lives and careers of progressive women such as the early feminists who secured women’s suffrage; the first elected woman senator, Margaret Chase Smith; the founder of the modern women’s movement, Betty Friedan; and pioneering aviatrix Phoebe Omlie.

Because of limited space, reservations are necessary for the luncheon. They should be made no later than Feb. 25 via email to crow@memphis.edu.

The second major event, “Muted Belles Revisited: A Conversation Celebrating Women’s Lives,” will be an art exhibit and discussion March 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the U of M Art Museum. It will feature the “Muted Belles” sculpture on the U of M campus. Created in 1994 by Gail Rothschild in cooperation with U of M students and faculty, the statue honors eight Memphis women. Dr. Janann Sherman, Peggy Caffrey and Christine Eisel of the U of M History Department and Leslie Luebbers, director of the Art Museum, will discuss the significance of the sculpture and the women it represents. Light refreshments will be served.

The “Muted Belles” exhibit will open March 5 and remain in the Art Museum Lobby through March 31.

The third major event will be March 26 from noon to 2 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. “Women Who Lead” will feature a panel discussion by U of M President Shirley Raines and the women who occupy four of the six vice-presidential-level positions at the University – Dr. Rosie Bingham, vice president for Student Affairs; Ms. Linda Bonnin, vice president for Communications, Public Relations and Marketing; Ms. Ellen Watson, vice president for Information Technology; and Ms. Julie Johnson, vice president for Advancement.

This is the first time ever that the President’s Executive Council has been predominantly female, so it is critical to capture and celebrate this unparalleled moment in the history of the University. Having a predominantly female executive council contributes uniquely to the campus climate, culture, aesthetics and overall success. Each of these female leaders will share their "herstories" of their journeys to advancement and success in their current roles.

Space is limited, so reservations are requested. They should be made by March 22 via email to Ms. Kelli O’Brien at kobrien1@memphis.edu. Light refreshments will be served.

“Women Who Lead” is sponsored by representatives of Women in Higher Education in Tennessee (WHET) at the University of Memphis.

A few of the other events set to take place during Women’s History Month at the main U of M campus are Wellness Days, March 6 and 26; Islamic Art, March 9; a screening of films dealing with domestic violence, March 25; the Mr. Gentleman Pageant, March 26; Women in Nursing, March 27; and several music concerts and women’s basketball and softball games.

Women’s History Month events at the U of M’s Lambuth Campus in Jackson will include Pie Day on March 13 and a Lunch and Learn meeting on March 28.

Details about these events, plus a full list of all U of M Women’s History Month events, are available online at www.memphis.edu/whm.