We all need a little inspiration to reveal our true creativity. If you’ve tired of your boring bedroom’s look, here are five on-trend ideas on how to illuminate your dream bedroom getaway brilliantly.

1. Unexpected objects in the same color family. At first thought, using lamps that are large enough to be placed as floor lamps may seem like it would be cumbersome. But when sleek, unobtrusive and blending in with the surrounding scheme, this can be a fun surprise that draws the eye to details you wish to highlight, such as interesting wallpaper or art.

Over time, a home that was once top-of-the-line can find itself behind the times. While this might only be a mild concern in terms of convenience, the state of your electrical circuits can potentially be a source of trouble if they are found to be below present day recognized standards. However, an electrician in Santa Monica can certainly evaluate the state of your home’s electrical components and recommend a course of action. Generally speaking, homes that are more than 40 or 50 years are more likely to need an electrical safety evaluation.

Depending on the age of your home, you may need to have some or all of your electrical outlets replaced. Many older homes do not have updated three-prong outlets, and instead might have the older style two prong outlets. Today’s appliances require a third prong for grounding. Besides this, over time wiring can become damaged, and the demands placed on your home’s older electrical system can simply be too much for an older system to bear.

If you need an electrician in Santa Monica to help you determine the electrical safety of your home, a strong list of references and great internet reviews are a good jumping off point for locating an electrician to help you solve any of the most common problems that older homes face.

The Electric Connection is a dependable electrical contracting company that can send a knowledgeable Santa Monica Electrician to your home or business. We will be happy to help you compare your home to today’s electrical standards, examine your home thoroughly, and evaluate the ability of your electrical system to perform under typical conditions as well as any unusually high demand situations.

Visit TheElectricConnection.com for more information and to speak with someone about your home’s electrical system. If you are unsure about exactly what types of upgrades or repairs you might need, we can easily help you out.

I mean, this is crazy, right?! You can almost FEEL the presence of these weird light dudes as they approach you at a murderously slow pace. Are they astronauts on our own planet? Is this our planet? I was unable to locate a larger version of this photograph, but I still put it at the top because it is incredibly evocative. And that’s not even the real kicker. If you’ve read my other posts on light painting, you know that incredibly long exposure times are necessary for shots like this. So homegirl or homeboy was out in the snow, in the dark, making this thing. And she/he had the wherewithal, tromping through the icy powder, to render these human forms so very well, even making one look like he’s trudging knee-deep. So weirdly inhuman. So weirdly human. I love this photo.

2. Give Up the Ghost

I would never give you a photo of old shoes to look at unless there were something special going on in the picture. In this one, there’s a simple, appropriate message. Ready for it? LIGHT ENHANCES THINGS. Duh, right? This photo is aesthetically interesting, but more valuable to me is the way it shows the essential point of light painting: To have fun! To breathe some excitement into your photography. If your only subject is an old pair of Tims, don’t complain. Turn off the lights and bust out a “paintbrush.”

7. There Are ALMOST No Words for This

Isn’t this great? What I love most is how nonchalant and, well, normal the guy looks in this photo. See? It’s all about juxtaposition. Angel wings mixed with a loud sense of everydayness (he COULD be wearing white robes) make you take notice of the unspoken contradiction. You ask, Why this? And you are led to wonder if maybe this is saying something about how sometimes the people who are the most inconspicuous are the most angelic. See what I did there? That’s why I have chosen these photos from among the hundreds that are out there. They invite wonder and have the power to lead to new insights. I am a dork.

9. Do Not Anger Him/Her/It

* Note: I found these photos on Pinterest and was unable to confirm all of their original sources. So, if you have any information about the original sources for any of these photos, please let us know in the comments sections. We want to give credit for these fantastic light painting photos where it is very much due! Thanks!

Homeowners are constantly looking for ways to save money when it comes to their monthly and annual utility expenses. Now more than ever, there are a wide array of opportunities available to residents of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., to give their properties energy-efficient overhauls that will pay off both in the long and short term.

With average interest rates on fixed-rate mortgages at or near all-time lows, homeowners are finding that by refinancing their home loans, they can save significantly on their monthly payments. With those savings, they can invest in projects that improve their home's energy efficiency, which will contribute to a monthly decrease in household expenses.

There is also a tax credit available through the federal government that will give homeowners up to $500 back if they have improved their property's energy efficiency over the past year. Congress recently passed legislation that would allow homeowners who undergo such projects in 2013 to enjoy similar tax deductions on next year's forms. This means that if you already filed your taxes for 2012 but started a project to improve your home's efficiency at the end of last year that bled into 2013, you can still get your money back next January.

The energy efficiency tax credit applies to some types of water heaters, furnaces, insulation, windows, roofs, heat pumps, boilers and central air conditioning units. If you choose appliances that feature the Energy Star label, these too may go towards qualifying your household for a tax break.