Home Decorating Articles

One of my favorite activities that keeps me sane is gardening, and every year I can’t wait for the weather to start warming up so I can get my gardens in. With our crazy economy and the new quastions about where our foods are coming from and how they are grown, vegetable gardening is a great activity. I’ve gotten much better about growing the thinsg that I love or my friends ask for, and I’ve also learned what grows better where. I had soil brought in for my raised garden, and it has produced beautifully.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and dill are my favorites, and I started a little too early this year - we got a frost after I planted my first few plants - but the last planting was timed perfectly and we got a week of rain shortly afterwards - something we hadn’t had yet this year.

I may live in the city, but by making the best use of all of the areas I have and buying plants that are designed for smaller areas my garden rivals many. I also love romantice, fragrant old-time flower gardens and my hollyhocks now come up every year with my sunflowers and daisies. They are just starting to green up - I’ll share photos when they start blooming.

The much needed rain also turned my yard into a sea of emerald green instead of the dreary brown that’s it’s been all winter - I think Spring may finally be here!

One of my favorite things about starting a New Year is being able to leave this year behind and look forward with optimism and a renewed set of goals. True, this shouldn’t be something that happens just once a year, but it’s a great time to really focus on what you want your new year to hold.

Below is a recap on what I think 2009 will hold - I’ll go into more detail as the year progresses, and change these as the world changes I’m sure in ways we could have never expected. Happy 2009 from your favorite Lifestylist® !

Your Life - Your Style
Make this the year that you break out of the stereotypes about how you should live and dress and do it your way. Paint your walls purple, embrace that favorite sweater - if it makes you happy and enables you to feel better about yourself, go for it!

Save a Life
One of the best things I ever did was start rescuing animals. We now have quite a menagerie, but they bring so much joy and happiness into my life, I can’t imagine what my life would be without them. When you have a really rotten day, nothing makes you feel better than having your furry friend curl up in your lap and make it all better.

Attitude is Everything
I predict that 2009 is going to be the year where people really start taking a hard look about how they spend their very hard-earned money and start supporting local businesses and rewarding places and individuals that offer superior customer service and make you feel like your patronage is appreciated.

Re-Purpose and Save the Planet
This year I’m going to be very careful about how I spend every dollar, and I’m already making decisions on how badly I really need something. So many times it’s just easier to go out and buy what you need instead of putting the thought into how you can use what you already have to serve that purpose. This year is going to be about less disposable things and more recycling. Not only will I save some money, I’l also help save the planet!

Playing Dress Up
We are turning into a very casual society in dress and in the way we live. In many ways this is a good thing, but every once in awhile it’s a great idea to put on that dress, host a tea party or bring out that good china. I found a great company - lia sophia - that sells jewelry that is unique and well priced. My daughter introduced me to them, and I loved what they offered so much I have begun selling their line myself! Working out of the house makes it too easy to dress down every day, and so now that I am involved with lia sophia I make a conscious decision to wear my jewelry every time I go out, whether it’s to the grocery store or to a client meeting. I get so many compliments on it my self-esteem has been boosted and the day is much brighter.

Hang Ups
I love art - especially art by someone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or has been picked up on a trip. Living in The Idea Factory means that I have very solid cement block walls, and because of this I’ve put off hanging most of my artwork. Art is very personal for me, and today I’m going to start putting a few holes in my walls so I can be surrounded with the color and memories that make me very happy.

Organize Your Digital Life
Have you noticed that the external hard drive is becoming the new catch-all? I’m realizing that I have tens of thousands of images and articles, but when I’m looking for that one that I need it’s never anywhere to be found. The start of a new year is the perfect time to evaluate what you need and how you store it. Take the time to remove the clutter on your desktop and put the things that you need right where you can find them. For those lucky Mac owners, the Apple stores are a great resource for getting your live moving in the right direction. It’s more important than ever to work smart and manage your time wisely.

Shake Things Up a Little
Do you feel like you are in a rut? I know I have lately - with all of the gloom and doom in the news about the economy and the other craziness out there maybe it’s time to jump out of that comfort zone and try something different for a change. I’ve been spending way too much time reading and worrying and I decided it was time to plug in the Wii fit I bought 6 months ago. I love it! It’s making me get out of my desk chair and literally breathe. Doing a little bit of exercise every day has renewed my spirit and now I’m ready to take on some new challenges.

Giving Thanks
Saying thank-you or letting someone know about exceptional service doesn’t cost a dime but can have great rewards to the person who bestowed great service on you. The next time someone goes out of their way to be gracious or helpful be sure to let them know you appreciate their help and when possible let their superiors know of their good deeds as well.

Family First
With all of the insecurity in the World right now, make suer to take time for family and remember what’s really important. A great dinner and evening at home can be priceless.

What does your home and your entertaining style say about you? Take a rainy day to think about what you love, and incorporate that into your home and entertaining style. Are you more casual in the way you approach life or when you entertain do the white linens and best china come out?

My four-legged family dictates the way I live and entertain and that is definitely reflected in my home. Gone are any good rugs - I'm now enjoying hardwood floors with area rugs I just change out when I get bored with them. Furniture is sturdy and made to stand up to dogs on the sofas and cats scratching - I refuse to declaw them and just bought appropriate items that they can't destroy.

Art is a very important part of my life, and  my collections are lovingly shown throughout the house. I buy / collect items that have a story with them - a special vacation, the artist is a friend or I purchased it at an important time in my life. It may not all "match" or coordinate, but its' me.

If you are overwhelmed by the idea of making changes to your life or style, start by choosing one item you love that can be the inspiration for your entire project. Inspiration can come from anywhere - a sunset, a shell from the beach you took your favorite vacation at, your pets... what's important is that it's something that will help make your house a home.

In this house it was the sectional sofa - it’s colors set the theme for the entire house. Whenever I needed to make a decision about anything going into the home I would bring out one of the sofa pillows and hold it up to whatever I was working on. If it's too difficult to carry around the object of your inspiration just take a photo of it to remind you what you are working around and towards.

Be careful to stay true to your course - it's easy to get distracted by pretty items that might be fine by themselves but will leave you with a look that doesn't work together in the end.

With gas prices what they are, why not invest your vacation dollars into your own backyard? Prices have dropped on many items that can make your own home into a resort, and it’s a vacation your family can then enjoy all year long.

This home features a spectacular indoor / outdoor fireplace that is beautiful as well as functional. By screening in the porch area and using pavers for the flooring this will end up being one of the most used rooms in the house. The furniture was a vintage set that was taken to an auto body company and painted using auto paint. The result is one that will last for years and is very cost-effective. To tie into current color trends we went to Pier1 Imports and found some great colorful cushions and an outdoor area rug to complete the look.

Manufactured Housing is also tapping into the outdoor living trend, and Patriot Homes now offers some new models that come complete with outdoor areas that are ready to go as soon as the homes are delivered. Patriot Homes of Alabama showcased two homes at the Tunica show this year - one with a screened porch area that was large enough to house a bar and seating area, and another with a built-in sink and prep area, covered porch and optional grill. This area could have an additional deck area added on-site, but as offered there is lots of room for even the largest parties.

When considering an outdoor oasis of your own, keep in mind the following considerations:
*Utilities: Be sure that you have adequate water, electrical and gas if you'll need it for your new area. If this is something you'll have to add it can really drive up the costs.
*Screening: If you are in an area that tends to have lots of bugs you may want to think about screening in your new area to make it more comfortable all year long.
*Size Matters: Be sure when you are planing your space that there is room for whatever seating you plan on using as well as room to walk around. One of the mistakes I see the most is porches that aren't wide enough when you add traditional seating.

Sadly traveling especially flying is no longer the enjoyable experience it used to be, so relieve the stress and enjoy your own back yard.