Let Your Ideas Brighten A Room

Love this....now this is thinking outside of the box!!!

Party Planning Tip#1 (and a great idea for every day)

You're planning an event or working on putting together a new decor plan or even working on your holiday gift list and you forget something.  This can be so frustrating and can even be costly in time and money, because you may purchase the wrong item or have to go back to the store.  It happens to everyone but it doesn't have to.

I am a list person. I log everything when I'm in the midst of planning something. Whether it's a dinner party for 4 or a large gathering I break things down into easily managed sections.  Yes, sometimes I do get carried away with my lists but I definitely don't forget anything and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction when I cross something off.  Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a micro-manager, of myself but I do like it.

Whether you're planning an event or planning your new living room carrying a little notebook around with all the details certainly does help.  For events you can record exactly what you're trying to achieve, be it by colour, theme or design.  You can log your guest list and your menus and any entertainment.  Once you have this basic information you can then jot down exactly what you need to purchase, make or accomplish for each and as you take care of each item you can check it off.  This will save you time and money and will also assist you if someone asks to help. Since you have all the info at your fingertips it's so much easier.

As far as decorating goes, it's always a good idea to have a little notebook with current colour and paint swatches, furniture, window and room measurements,  and any little ideas you may have for changes or "wish list" items.  How many times have you come across something, such as curtains, that you really like and, not only that, they're on clearance but, alas, you're unsure because you don't know it they'll fit or if the colour will work with what you have.  If you have all of your current info in a little notebook you can safely pick up these clearance-priced curtains and feel good about it. And, if you're redecorating, a notebook with wants and wishes and all other pertinent information is so handy to have. It's great to be confident in your design decisions and this notebook information will help you get there.

As far as holiday gifts and supplies go, I am all for a Christmas book. I have used one since 1992 (actually on my 3rd book).  I come across really cool stuff throughout the year that I believe someone specific on my list may like so I will pick it up, log the gift in my book and store the item away in gift bins in my basement.  I also make note of all the supplies I may have purchased in the after-Christmas sales. This is of great use to me because having this updated information ensures that I never double up on gifts or wrap etc.  It also allows me to take advantage of some amazing sales and deals throughout the year, allowing me to buy things that I wouldn't normally be able to afford (I have a large family).  I am usually way ahead of the game by the time December rolls around too, which makes the season a lot less stressful.  Another advantage is the fact that I can look back over the years and see what I've given to everyone.  Once again, avoiding a repeat.  I depend on my Christmas book, so much so that when my old book was falling apart my kids bought me a new one, as part of my Christmas present.

Notebooks and lists may seem like a pain or a lot of work but they're really not and using them can actually save you a lot of time, money and headaches and remember, you can always pick up these notebooks at the dollar store. It's all good!

The Post-Christmas Decor Blues

So, if you're anything like me, when you decorate for the holidays you move things around, put items in seasonal storage, and even move furniture to other rooms.  Okay, I have a lot of Christmas stuff and the only way I can display it all properly is to change things around.  It looks great but once it's all packed away the rooms look a little dull. After all the sparkle of the season putting your rooms back the way they were can be a little bit of a let down. This is when your creativity should take over.  I'm not talking about completely redecorating, although that's what some people do, but rather reinventing. 

After the boxes have been put away it's a good time to really clean everything.  A fresh, clean start really helps.  Then start looking at what you have in a new light.  Don't automatically place everything back where it was.  If you can, move some furniture around, even if it's only occasional tables.  Change your seating area around.  Make some distinct conversation areas with your furniture.  Grab those really nice throws you have stored in your linen closet and drape them over your chairs or your chesterfield. Think of new groupings for your tables. Sometimes it means exchanging smaller items between rooms.  Regroup your framed, family photos.  Think about how you can use the items you already have in a new way. 

And then (here's where the Dollar store comes in handy) get some new pillow covers for your throw pillows.  Maybe pick up some new, inexpensive frames.  How about some decorative stones in your vases or even coloured rocks to match or compliment your decor.  You may even find some table runners or interesting trays that you can use to break things up.

And don`t forget about your kitchen. Some new plant pots in your window, new dish towels on display, some fresh wooden spoons, or even some chair pads.  You can even buy some interesting glass jars to place on your counter to hold your coffee, tea or sugar.  Minimal expense but they will make things look a lot different.  

Any of these things will make a difference.  I know it helps me to make changes.  It`s a new year so start off with a new outlook, even if it`s only in your living room.

Calendar Reminder

Calendars are a great way to make changes in your home and now is the perfect time to buy them.  You can get some really great calendars very inexpensively right now. You could wait until February so the cost will be even less but, remember, if you wait too long your choices will be limited.  It's worth it, even if you aren't going to use the pages right away.  Check out the post "It's A Good Time for Calendars" for some ideas.

An All Purpose Message Board

This year, for my husband's family Christmas gathering, we had to give gifts that were handmade. I wanted to make something unique, decorative and practical for my sister-in-law and came up with this message board.  It is a framed chalkboard/magnet board/corkboard...all in one.

Once I decided what I wanted to do I set out to find my supplies. So, off to a local thrift store I went, searching for a metal tray and a frame to match in size.  I was very lucky to find both. Once home, I trimmed the rim off of the tray.  This is a bit of a slow process because you want to ensure an even cut and for safety reasons, because thin metal edges, and the tools to trim it, can cut easily.  

Once that was done I cleaned and roughed up the metal and then painted it with Chalkboard paint.  There are different paints for this, some brush on (too expensive and time consuming for this project) and a spray on paint, which is what I used.  It must be done in a well ventilated and protected area (you don't want any dust or dirt on your newly painted item and you don't want any paint on anything else) I applied 3 even coats and let each coat dry at least 3 hours. During the drying time I dismantled and painted the frame. 

When all the pieces were dry I glued the metal to a very sturdy piece of cardboard, cut to fit the frame,  with contact cement (be careful with this-cleans up well but very messy while you're working with it).  After that I cut a surround out of a roll of cork I had purchased at an office supply store and glued that onto the cardboard, around the metal piece.  I then cut small shapes out of the cork and mounted them around the join of the cork and metal, cleaning up the area and making the cork thicker for pin use.  Once dried I placed this in the newly painted frame, obviously without the glass, and added some funky magnets and pushpins.  It actually turned out really well and, although a little time consuming, wasn't that difficult.

This project can be done in a variety of ways and sizes and, for smaller projects, most of the supplies can be found at dollar stores and using the cork is a great option if you can't find a piece of metal that fits the frame precisely.  Be creative. Cork Board, Chalk Board or Magnet Board or all three. It's all up to you.

Let Your Christmas Cards Live On

So you're starting to clean up after Christmas and you have an assortment of wonderful Christmas cards that have been lovingly sent to you. Seems a shame to just toss them in the recycle bin doesn't it?  Before you make that final move have a look through your stash.  Maybe there is something you could do with some of these cards...reuse before you recycle??

I remember, years ago, my mother would sit down after Christmas and carefully go through all of her cards.  She would then pick out cards that she could cut up , with her pinking sheers, and use as special gift tags for the next year.  I always thought this was a great idea and even did it a few times myself.  You could still do this...make some very personal and, with some crafting, very lavish, one of a kind tags for some special gifts.  

You could also see if any cards work together, either by colour, theme or size and cut the fronts off to be used as part of your decor next year.  These could easily be framed and hung or placed in areas that may need a little Christmas.  Reusable hangers are great for this since they won't mark your walls or cabinets or wherever you choose to hang these special pictures.  You could even change the pictures every year with new cards. Finding matching frames at the dollar store would certainly make your display come together. Collages of these framed cards would really make a statement too, especially if they're placed somewhere you don't normally have pictures or decorations, such as your washroom.   

Instead of framing you could mount the chosen cards on card stock and attach these to wide ribbon (which you should be able to find rather inexpensively after Christmas) and hang these on the front of doors or cupboards. Very visual and festive and because the top of the ribbon is hung on the back of the door or cupboard door there won't be any visible marks.

So, really look at all of these cards before getting rid of them and remember, even if you decide not to remake these wonderful holiday greetings into decorations,  you could always donate them to a school or kids' group for their crafting. It would be nice for these little pieces of art to live on, if only for another season.