Energize Your Living Room

Nate Berkus, decorating guru, gave tips on ways to Energize Your Living Room in USA Weekend. We all need a pick-me-up this time of year!

Here are his top tips on making changes...

Hide The TV.

“I understand. I take in my fair share of prime time. But you want this space to be a place to sit and chat and hang out, even when the TV is off. If possible, put the TV in something so you can close the doors. And, by that, I don’t mean you have to have one of those huge entertainment centers. I’ve found beautiful antique armoires — check garage sales, vintage stores and flea markets — and altered them so a TV could sit inside [they work with flat-screen as well as older TVs].”

Rearrange The Accessories.

“You find something — a candlestick, a vase, a bowl, anything — you bring it home and put it out in your house. Five years later, that item is still sitting in the same spot! By just rearranging your tabletops, you give an entirely new look to your room. Start by taking everything off the surfaces and putting it all on one table. Then, start put?ting it back in new ways. When you group the items differently, the entire room takes on a new energy.”

Swap Out Furniture.

“Just moving the sofa to another wall and repositioning the chairs can make a room look entirely different. Try placing a bench, two stools or two chairs across from the sofa. This allows people to sit opposite you when visiting so you don’t all have to cram onto the sofa. It makes a world of difference in this space.

“But don’t stop there. Swap out end tables with ones from a different room. Go room to room and really look at each piece you have and think about where it might work better. Your furniture will suddenly feel new again.”

Divvy Up The Chores.

“When your home is in order, you are in order. I think you just breathe easi?er in a home that is chaos-free. So enlist the help of your family. Make a chore list and divvy it up. Don’t neglect the lampshades. They tend to get dusty and make the whole room look a bit tired. If you each take a room, you’ll have the place cleaned up in no time, and you’ll feel 100 times better about how your interior looks.”

Put Lights On Dimmers.

“This will allow you to soften the lights and the space in the living room. While you’re at it, change your lampshades. Going from white to soft natural linen can make the room look tailored.

“Also, add candles. Everyone looks better — not to mention younger — by candlelight. I just added flameless candles to my home, and they’re on a timer. It’s a great way to return home.”

Inspiring your Child to READ!

Pottery Barn makes a beautiful book rack for Children. Put a cozy chair & reading lamp near this shelf to make for a special nook for you & your child.

(It also comes in red.)

Declutter for 2010!

From the FLYLADY.net....

How to Declutter

Remember: You cannot organize clutter - you can only organize the things you love!

When to Declutter: Decide how often you are going to declutter a zone. Do a little every day - use a timer. But be warned - this can become compulsive! Once you get started you will want to clean like a banshee! Don't burn yourself out! Only do small amount at a time. The house did not get dirty overnight and it will not get clean overnight. When you set the timer you can only do two sessions at a time. This goal may seem unattainable right now, but you can do it in little pieces. In a couple of months, the whole house will be decluttered.

Decluttering Equipment: You will need garbage bags, boxes, magic markers, and a dust rag. Label the boxes "Give Away", "Throw Away", and "Put Away". Line the "Throw Away" box with a plastic garbage bag.

Set your timer: for 1 hour (or 30, 15, or 10 minutes - it does't matter how long). Just do the job as fast as you can and do not pull out more stuff than you can put away in that length of time. This means just one drawer, one closet (or even one shelf in one closet), one magazine rack, or digging under just the furniture in the zone. Not all of them at once!

Start at the entrance to the room: Then, work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip a spot. Whatever happens to be next, just do it.

Declutter Away!
With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waistband, start off by cleaning out and getting rid of the things that do not belong in this room. Put garbage in the "Throw Away" box, donations in the "Give Away" box, and stuff that goes somewhere else in the "Put Away" box. Don't worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish you will. That's a promise from FlyLady!

What to declutter?
Things to ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter:
Do I love this item?
Have I used it in the past year?
Is it really garbage?
Do I have another one that is better?
Should I really keep two?
Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?
Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?

Cleanse this room of everything that does not make you SMILE.

Sing this song: "Please release me, let me go" as sung from the stuff's point of view. It needs to be loved by someone and if you don't love it - GET RID OF IT!

Get rid of the garbage!
When the "Throw Away" box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trash can, the pickup truck, or wherever you keep your garbage. Put a new garbage bag in the "Throw Away" box and keep on Flying until the timer goes off.

Donations:
When the "Give Away" box gets full, seal it off, and put it in your car. The next time you are out, you can donate to the area thrift shop. Do not save your clutter for a yard or garage sale, you will be blessed by giving it away. The value can be deducted on your income tax. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter - not relocate it somewhere else in your home. Now, grab another box, label it "Give Away", and get back to work.

"Put Away" Stuff:
When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house (good thing you have shoes on - right?) and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in it's place.

Timer Goes Off:
When the timer goes off, you have to put away all the boxes, but first you have to empty them all. Go as fast as you can.

Last Minute Gift Ideas (You can make!)

Click HERE to find the tutorial on making these ADORABLE lavender sachets...perfect for any woman on your Christmas list.

Click HERE to find the tutorial on Homemade Vanilla Extract! GREAT idea for the cook in your life.

How to Tie a Square Scarf

Click HERE to find instructions for tying a square scarf. It is from "Celebrity Style's Blog."

Freshen up for Spring

Let Spring In!

Spring has arrived! Open the windows, take a deep breath and let Spring enter your life! Ahhh, finally.

De-clutter your house, lighten up your color scheme and attitude and prepare to make the most of the warmer months to come.

I like to think of things I can to do make the mental shift from lethargic hibernation to rejuvenation. For me, Spring is about new life, a bright attitude and a fresh perspective. Now that the grass is green and transformation is all around us in nature, try to think of ways to transform your life. Maybe it's as simple as giving an old piece of furniture a fresh coat of paint, putting a vase of bright yellow tulips on your kitchen table or signing up for golf lessons...small changes can make a big impact on the way you feel about your life.

This Spring, why not...

Paint your front door a bold, bright color.
Cobalt blue, poppy red or goldenrod are all vivid and unexpected choices that welcome guests to your home.

Grow your own herb garden.

Put rosemary, thyme, dill, sage and parsley in pots in your kitchen or plant them in your backyard. Use for fresh and flavorful cooking.

Invest in a versatile and bright trench coat to wear during April showers.

Style & Co. $25.98 at JCPenney

Make an Easter basket for someone you love or create a beautiful egg for yourself!

Glass blown eggs like the one below make a unique piece of art year-round and can be made in classes offered by local art institutes.

Spring Cleaning

What Glamorous Girl doesn't love a clean house? The Springtime is a great time to go through your home & give it a deep cleaning. If you can afford to, hire a professional to do some of the big jobs for you or maybe hire a friend, who is a meticulous housekeeper, to come & give you a hand for the day.  

CLUTTER-FREE CLOSET

One of my favorite Springtime projects--going through my clothes closet! I love to put away sweaters, winter scarves, coats & other bulky, winter items. Most years, at least 1 pair of worn out shoes or boots ends up in the garbage. (Girls have to have good-looking shoes, right?)  

I do have some CLOTHES RULES:
1) Hasn't been worn in over 2 years?  It goes in the "Give Away" pile.
2) The item has a stain or hole--throw it away. If it looks old, tattered, faded or pilled beyond repair--give it away.
3) If the color doesn't look good on me (I should not have bought it in the first place) it goes in the "Give Away" pile.
4) Husband hates it? Give it away!
5) Uncomfortable? Give it away!

This Checklist below will help you give your home a good Spring Cleaning! It gets larger if you click on the image. It was taken from Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook.

Rain Boots

Every girl, except one who lives in the Desert (like me), needs a pair of Rainboots in the Spring. Here are some fun, stylish, affordable (under $30) boots. The first pair is from Charlotte Russe.
The other two pairs can be found at Target.com along with loads of other adorable boots.

Another fun site is ShopStyle.com where you can boots in a wide range of styles & prices.

Adorable Spring China

I love this china by Lenox. Nothing welcomes spring like pretty flowers & special dishes, linens & towels in your home. This Lenox Simply Fine™ Chirp China can be found at Bed Bath and Beyond. It would be a great way to set the stage for any Spring occasion. (The china is safe to use in the microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher.)

If you can't afford enough settings for a dinner party or if you don't have room to store china for every season or occasion, just collect a platter or large bowl and use with dishes that you already own.

Pretty Journals, Etc.

My mom recently bought me this journal from Barnes and Noble.  It was created by Susie Ghahremani.  You can visit her website for this journal and many more adorable things such as bags, notepads, cards, magnets, shirts and more. The prices are very affordable. This journal ending up costing only $8.95 with the Barnes and Noble Membership Discount.

(Did you know...you can buy ONE MEMBERSHIP for your entire extended family to receive discounts from Barnes and Noble. All you need to know is the phone number of the person who opened up the account.)