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Budget Decorating Comparison: Real Life vs. TV
Have you ever watched those tv decorating shows, you know, the ones that promise to help you redecorate your home on a tight budget? Were you ever amazed to then find, by tight budget they mean $500, or even $1000? I have, and I don’t know about...
Christmas Cookie Decorating 101
Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that’s a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you...
Decorating for real life and real people
I spent a recent weekend curled up with a stack of decorating magazines. I read them cover to cover - usually back to front, but that's the way I read most magazines and newspapers. I studied each photograph and tried to determine the...
Decorating with Table Fountains
With unlimited possibilities available, table top fountains can add understated beauty or grandeur to any room in your house. Fountains are a worthy investment even for those who hesitate to spend money on aesthetics. Beyond eye-catching appeal,...
Decorating Your Rooms with Area Rugs
Area rugs , such as Tibetan rugs, are the number one decoration choice for many people because of their rich history, enchanting designs, and outstanding collection value. Hanging on the wall or covering the floor, each every single piece of rug is...
Home Decorating For Smaller Spaces
“Big Things Come In Small Packages” We’re all familiar with this quote, it’s normally associated with gifts not home decorating, but it should be. A one or two bedroom house, apartment, condo or townhouse can be just as impressive and grand...
How to use accessories in a bedroom decorating project?
Any interior space is primarily composed of walls, floor and
ceiling. These elements give a habitable character to the
interior space.
Apart from providing protection from natural elements such as
rain, snow, wind and other natural calamities,...
Professional Decorating Tips For Fireplace Mantels
Although fireplace mantels were originally used for cooking and heating, contemporary mantels have become the key focal point for setting the decorative style and atmosphere of a room. You can utilize simple accessories to enhance the room, or go...
Unique Cake Decorating With Flowers
Flowers as a Cake Decoration, unique and easy to place on every one of your cake creations. Flowers, both real and artificial are relatively simple to use. Read through this article to get some great tips and ideas on using real and/or artificial...
Window Blinds And Curtains: Top Decorating Tips
Many people consider window treatments as finishing touches to the room's decor, and usually pay little or no attention to this interior detail. Sometimes when you start improving your blinds or curtains, the budget often runs low. However, window...
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Thanksgiving Decorating When Short on Time & Money
Lucky you if you live in the north (of the US). Lucky all of us that nature is plentiful in providing free supplies for decorating our homes for Thanksgiving no matter where we live.
Even in South Texas at this time of year I can wander outside and clip off some branches from my yellow-berried pyracantha (I planted some with yellow berries as well as red just for this occasion), and grab a handful of at least brown leaves. If you live in the north and can garner pine cones, seed pods, pine branches and fallen leaves in all their glorious colors, use these as the basis for your color scheme.
I’m also lucky to have a garden full of chrysanthemums in bloom ready to be put around in vases in the house. Since they’re perennials (down here), I can always count on having them come back this time of year. Check your yard and garden for blooms in keeping with your color scheme (and next year, consider planting accordingly).
You also have an array of decorating materials available in the produce department of your grocery. All those squashes lend themselves beautifully to the fall color scheme. It’s nature’s way. Go for it! Arrange some greenery branches across the mantle and place fruits and vegetables around and there you have it. We’re celebrating the harvest, after all.
Now here’s the trick. We have two major celebrations coming up: Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Here at my house I need to make a quick transition and I’m short on time, like everyone else. I’m having guests for Thanksgiving, but then my grandchildren will be coming here the Friday after. I’m giving a Christmas Cookie Baking Party for Kids on Friday, and will need to switch rapidly from Thanksgiving to Christmas, so I’ve planned my decorating accordingly.
I’ll be using only greens, yellows, golds and whites for Thanksgiving. Then, for instance, I can remove the white, green and yellow gourds and squashes from the greenery on the mantle, add some white lights and gold stars, gold jingle bells, and gold ornaments and I’m set to go.
The white, yellow and gold candles and tealights for Thanksgiving can remain. See how easy it can be!
Cheap tip for a real glow? Buy a fair-sized mirror, place it on your dining room table, buffet or mantel and cover it with tea lights.
Beautiful!
You could achieve this same easy transition keeping green and brown for basic background and using accents of burgundy and rust. This is a more subtle look for Christmas than the bright primary red, but it works just as well.
Also make some trips to your local Goodwill and Thrift Stores and visit some garage sales. People give away the most amazing holiday decorations that can be yours for pennies. I’ve found everything – hand towels, wreaths, pillows, stuffed animals, wall pictures, water globes and statuettes. Since they’re used only for a short time, you hate to spend too much on them.
And here’s a neat tip. My Goodwill store has a selection of lamp shades and I have the lamps, don’t you? You can change out your lampshades to fit your decorating scheme. Did you ever think of that? It only takes a minute. Just make sure before you go that you know which kind of lampshades you have, and match them.
Oh and don’t forget to check out the picture frames at the resale shop. You could move a favorite photo to a holiday frame and place that up on the mantel as well. In fact if you don’t already have some great holiday photos, take some this year. I have a great photo of my grand-daughter sitting with a pumpkin I move to a central location at Thanksgiving, and then a collage of my own children at former Christmases I bring out in December. I bought an ugly print at a garage sale that had a beautiful forest green frame, threw away the print and substituted with the collage. It’s such a dear reminder.
And while you’re decorating, don’t forget yourself! Most thrift stores set up displays of holiday apparel you’ll want to take advantage of for you and the kids.
Some planning ahead can help you save time and money and still allow for a festively decorated home for the holidays.
©Susan Dunn, MA, Personal Life & EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Offering coaching, Internet courses and ebooks for your personal and professional development. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for free ezine. I train and certify EQ coaches. Email me for information on this fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program.
Source: www.isnare.com
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