Things We Love: Personalization

In honor of the upcoming celebration of love, Valentine’s Day, we’ll devote February to acknowledging those things we love most that influence the look and feel of our home and our sense of design.  This week, let’s give a nod to what makes us unique – the ways in which we personalize. 

The possibilities are limitless when we consider all the ways we can add our own touches to our homes.  Some pull ideas from television, magazines, and online, and some just have that creative flair to institute their own concepts in décor.  Whatever the motivation, personalization is expression.  It reveals something about you in what you put out there, so let YOU shine through.  Use a color palette that reflects your favorite shades in anything from wall colors to fabrics to dishes.  Put your own stamp on things by incorporating your monogram or initials on decorative pillows or shams, or bath towels or welcome mats, and have a custom address stamper made for a consistent return address on outgoing mail.  Play up your curb appeal with larger, modern house numbers installed on a stand-out color door to set you apart from the neighbors.   

Change some lighting options in your home by adding in more lamps for warm light or turning current fixtures into lights that dim.  Lighting expresses mood in a room, and having options never hurts.  Show off your hostess skills by decking out your guest bathroom and bedroom with more amenities than non-hotel guests expect, like dressy shower gel, black washcloths for eye makeup removal, allergy sensitive pillows, and a soothing sound machine.      

If you have an artist side, devote wall space to your own artwork or photography.  If cooking is a passion, be known for setting a beautiful table with scrumptious dishes for a regular weeknight and not just a special occasion.  If you are an avid reader, display your hardback collection proudly by using stacks of books throughout your home in decorative settings instead of filling one stuffy bookcase. 

You know what makes you stand apart from the rest.  Now revamp the ways you can let that show in how you decorate, organize, and run your day-to-day home.  Celebrate your many options for personalizing and loving the space you live in.  

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 3rd. 

 

Fabric by the Yard

You walk through the fabric section of a craft store, and inspiration can just jump out at you.  All those bolts of fabric are home projects all wrapped up and ready to measure and cut.  Whether you are a crafty sort that can sew anything you desire or the perfect delegator willing to turn over large and small projects to someone who can, fabric has the power to really dress up your home.

Let’s start big.  Reupholstering can be a big and pricey project depending on what you want to recover.  You can take a sofa or a side chair with good bones and update either with a contemporary fabric.  You can take a dated headboard and do the same.  You can build a new headboard with the right wooden structure and padded look you want for a bed and customize it with fabric to coordinate with your bedding.  This scale of project is well suited for a professional, but there are plenty of smaller jobs for a weekend DIY project enthusiast. 

If you can work a sewing machine and a needle and thread, pillows are something you can crank out pretty handily.  Throw pillows made from fabric selections you love can take a seat on your sofa, occasional chairs, or atop every bed in the house.  Pillow shams in both the standard and Euro sizes can round out the look of your bedding with a custom touch.  You can also add a matching throw blanket to the end of the bed or over the arm of the couch. 

If you can never seem to find a tablecloth or placemats you love, you can take fabric by the yard and create your own look for the dining table.  If you think that’s doable, making coordinating chair cushion covers would not be a stretch.  Measure for your own custom window treatments, and a simple hemming job can produce window panels ready to hang from ring clips.  To turn one of your selections into another decorative element, frame sections of fabric to create wall art or cover the base of a wooden serving tray for a visual upgrade. 

There are countless ways to use fabric by the yard to update the look and feel of your home on both a large and small scale.  For both the do-it-yourselfer and the hire-a-pro homeowner, a little yardage can go a long way.

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 27th.

 

      

A Closet Case

If you’re sticking to “get organized” on your New Year’s resolutions’ list, consider upgrading your storage materials to make your lofty job that much easier around the house.  Your closets and shelves just might thank you.

If closet space is tight, you could consider a splurge on “skinny hangers.”  Sold in packs, these thin hangers take up less space and come in slip resistant material.  Hanging belt, tie, and scarf keepers get these thin items out of drawers and up on the rack in a narrow space, allowing you to see what all you have at once.  Boot inserts allow tall knee boots to stand up and not fall over so they can stand together on a closet floor or upper shelf.  If your lower hanging rod has a shelf over it, divided jewelry trays can slip right in below your upper hanging clothes for concealed storage at hand while you’re dressing.

For a storage closet, utilizing all the space at your disposal can keep supplies easily accessible.  Hang an over-the-door pocket system for a variety of materials like arts and crafts supplies, batteries, small tools and picture hanging supplies, or gift wrap accessories.  Install a short cleaning tool rack to get mop and broom handles up on the wall so they don’t tumble every time the door opens.  Line your shelves with storage bins for anything from files to seasonal decorations to special dishes.  If wall space is open in a walk-in or reach-in closet, hang up hooks for reusable shopping bags or dog leashes.  To keep the floor of the closet neat, use boot trays for a tidy shoe arrangement and clean floor. 

Whether you hang it up, hook it up, or line it up, creating that place for everything will put every inch of your shelving, wall, and floor space to tip-top use, giving you the ability to retrieve and return your supplies with organized perfection.  The right supplies, however simple or extensive, can make all the difference when you really want to keep things straight.  That’s a closet case you can be proud of.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 20th.

   

Little Showoffs

A little updating can go a long way.  When you want to toss some new [small] pieces in the mix without bursting the bubble of your budget, some creative purchases can add a renewed sparkle to your decorated space.

Attractive storage boxes like those with a glossy paper coating, matching lid, and paper label insert on the front, can take storage to center stage.  Whether you really use them to store photos or trinkets or leave them empty, stacking and scattering a few small storage boxes on shelves or end tables amounts to organized décor.  Additionally, lacquered boxes in various shapes, sizes, finishes, colors, or prints make nice toppers to a stack of books or a partner to a lamp or floral arrangement. 

Let the kitchen loose in the rest of the home by displaying pitchers, decorative bowls, platters, or trays.  Sometimes you see cute kitchen accessories in stores that do not necessarily “go with” your pieces at home.  No bother; buy a stand-alone item and show it off on a coffee, sofa, or entry table or entertainment center shelving.  Vases can play the same role.  No flowers are required to allow a grouping of cohesive vases to decorate the center of your dining table or buffet. 

Artwork can be small and simple and certainly not carry art gallery price tags.  You can hang little groupings of framed art or wrapped canvases to make a larger art statement on a chosen wall.  Or you can even use individual pieces off the wall by leaning them against the wall over the mantle or sit them on a bookcase shelf as a backdrop for a little cluster or scattering of small decorative items in front.  Small knickknacks can go from clutter to catchy simply by arranging them properly and can top off a display perfectly.

Little finds can equal big surprises.  The next time you see one of those affordable “gotta’ have it” items, don’t stress about how you could use it to the point of leaving it behind.  Take it home and pick a spot to put your find on display.  Chances are, you’re going to love it.    

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 13th.

Tips and Tricks for New Year Flair

For a little refresher to jumpstart 2013, here are some tips and tricks for maximizing your design know-how and boosting the look and appeal of the space you call home. 

To increase the surface space you have to display decorative items, swap an end table for a short, open bookshelf alongside your living room seating or in a room that serves multiple purposes, like a guest space and home office.  You keep the tabletop you need for a lamp and add extra layers for displaying books, décor, a throw blanket, or bins of office supplies. 

In a larger room, put two matching area rugs together for a more economical option for floor covering than one oversized rug.  With a repeating pattern, place the two rugs right together for a visual extension.  For another option, place two non-matching rugs near each other to add a textured, layered look to the space. 

Instead of built-in seating below an empty windowsill, try adding a wooden or upholstered bench.  This added decorative layer can hold a couple of throw pillows for an inviting seat or a stack of books for a multi-functional bookshelf.  When space is limited, use a backless stool or cube ottoman in place of a desk or vanity chair, allowing you to push your seating completely under the furniture piece. 

As an alternative to a mirror or large scale artwork over a bed, hang two square or rectangular mirrors behind the bedside lamps directly over the nightstands.  This adds depth to the room and a classy element for a hotel-style feel.  For a little variety in the wall pieces you buy, choose pieces and mirrors that can hang vertically or horizontally to be able to switch their positions and move from room to room.

In a wider entryway, forego the narrow sofa table against the wall and opt for a round table in the center of the foyer.  When layered over a runner rug beneath the room’s lighting fixture, you have a nice focal point just past your front door.  To highlight your wall art, draw the eye toward a cohesive grouping by hanging pieces with one primary color scheme.  This mix can be created with a blend of framed art, wrapped canvases, and framed or decorative mirrors. 

Whether you swap one item for another or use your design eye to choose multifunctional pieces, your stylized placement of both large and small items can be the difference between just being fine and truly having flair. 

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 6th.

 

 

13 Ideas for 2013 Home Decor

As a brand new year is being ushered in, certain home projects are topping the list of upgrades and revamps.  If you’re in the market, here are 13 things to consider for 2013:

1.  Rectangular tile is turning the corner and walking up walls and not just across floors.  Bathroom remodels will be seeing more and more flooring options installed on the walls as well.

2.  Blues, orangey-reds, and light yellows were taking the spring 2013 previews by storm on the runways and catwalks, and home designers were taking notice.  This palette may take some prominence in advertised paint lines and home décor products.

3.  Chevron – the zigzag – pattern is still big and will continue to be.  Sometimes it is one color on a white background, and some chevron prints involve a few colored zigzags.  This remains a popular pattern in fabrics and wall art.

4.  Modern hotel amenities are continuing their way into homes.  Making master bedrooms or guest rooms reflective of elements in nice hotels, like white linens and towels, will gain in popularity.

5.  Urban living concepts like smaller homes, efficient storage, and some degree of minimalistic style may grow out of the national economic climate and embrace “less is more.”

6.  Ceramics get an uptick on the popularity chart in lamps, vases, small statues, and other decorative accent pieces for just about every room of the home. 

7.  Metals – silver, gold, nickel, and brass - will continue to be a warming trend in furniture and accessories and add that mix of hard with soft furnishings. 

8.  Layered textures, like textured wallpaper and a variety of fabrics and upholstered pieces, will stack up to add coziness to a variety of spaces.

9. Neutral rooms – wall color, flooring, and furniture - will be accented with pops of color in smaller accents.  These can be interchanged easily, leaving a classic palette to work against for years to come.

10.  Cultural prints and patterns have gained in popularity, as have repeating animal prints.  Not the typical animal hide prints, but actual animal silhouettes, like dogs, elephants, giraffes, and birds, may show up more frequently in accent pillows, drapery, and art.

11.  Feathers and other soft, feminine touches will line wreaths, lamp shades, pillows, and will fill vases and centerpiece components.

12.  To the contrary, menswear details, like gray pinstripes and the use of black will increase in upholstery, bedding, and furnishings.     

13.  1940s glam will have a place with enthusiasts for a classy throwback for themes in furniture, tableware, and dressy accents. 

As always, the best trend is to fill your home with things you love, whether they tickle the fancy of the mainstream or not.  If you love it, use it, share it, and be proud of your home in the New Year and always.  Happy decorating in 2013!   

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 30th.

 

 

 

      

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Memories

Amidst the pomp and circumstance of the holiday season, it’s nice to ensure you really savor the meaning of Christmas and the opportunity to come together as family and friends in celebration.  Instead of rushing through, find ways to slow down and appreciate the little moments that make Christmas special.

If your Christmas tree is displaying sentimental ornaments that have a history, point them out and talk about them as a family.  Your kids might learn something new about their grandparents, you as a child, or enjoy showing off a school craft projects from the past.  Talk about the sentimental value of your Christmas dishes, China, or any recipes if they were passed down to your family.  If there is a funny story tied to a holiday memory, be sure to tell it again. 

If you don’t already have a “movie moment” tradition in your household, consider starting one.  I don’t think they’re cheesy; I think they can be sweet memories for adults and kids alike.  Drive around town Christmas Eve looking at Christmas lights and tote to-go coffee cups with hot chocolate while listening to Christmas music.  I can also remember lying on the living room floor in my pajamas as a child looking up at the Christmas tree lights.  From that angle, I just thought the tree looked so magical. 

We enjoy looking at the photos of friends and family on the Christmas cards we receive.  Take a little time Christmas Day to look them over all at once.  Being thankful for the people in your life is not relegated to Thanksgiving Day; use that moment to give thanks for the relationships that surround you all year long.  You can also punch holes in the side of each and string them together with a strand of ribbon off of a gift.  That way you have a flip book of sorts to put away with your decorations and look at again next year. 

Gather the kids together and tell the story of how Jesus was born and placed in a manger after Mary and Joseph made their way into Bethlehem.  Reflect on the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Savior, and make that an essential part of the Christmas history you pass down to the next generation. 

Whether you sit around with some hot apple cider and visit, start a fire in the fireplace if it happens to get cold or in the backyard for some toasted marshmallows if it doesn’t, purposefully create some Christmas moments that can carry traditions forward for your family.          

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 23rd.

 

 

On the 10th Day of Christmas . . .

In the go-go-go of the holiday season, it can be calming to stop, assess, and organize to help ensure a smooth and efficient week prior to Christmas Day.  If you feel like you have much left to do, taking the time to make a good list – or lists, plural – can be just the boost you need to continue on strongly with a proactive plan in mind.

Write out a list of all of your gift recipients, maybe even jotting down quick notes about what you have to give them.  For your children, this can be a time to make sure their gift count is about even.  For family and others, take a moment to make sure you have all your bases covered and you have not left someone out you intended to give to, of course according to how your family approaches gift giving.  If you have shopping left to do, remember that it is “the thought that counts.”  Acknowledging someone with something simple, thoughtful, and in your budget is more important than overdoing it on what you think is perceived as the latest and greatest.  Then highlight any gifts on your list that still need to be wrapped at this point.  Take a quick inventory of your wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, bows, and gift tags to make sure you have what you need to finish up, and then make like Santa and wrap.

If you have not already done so, make a final grocery list for anything you need to complete your holiday recipes for your Christmas dinner.  Factor in ingredients if you plan to make cookie batches to give away, take dessert or another dish to a holiday party, or are having company stay a few days.  In that case, you will benefit greatly from a meal plan of what you will be serving your guests during their time with your family.  Chart out options for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, and shop accordingly.   

The other big task to tackle is making a plan of how to get your home company-ready.  If you can factor in the help of your spouse or older children, assign cleaning tasks to each individual, and set a deadline for the completion of everything, leaving time between “all clean” the first door bell ring.  It can be helpful to write out each chore so you can cross things off the list as you complete them and see progress on paper as well.  Instead of writing “clean guest room,” break down the tasks into things like “dust, vacuum, wash sheets, fold towels, clean bathroom,” and so forth. 

In 10 days, Christmas morning will be upon us.  Use this time leading up to “Ho, Ho, Ho,” and go, go, go after a productive, effective week of getting your checklists completed in a timely, organized manner.  Feeling spread thin and overrun takes away from your joy of this season.  Focus on being able to spend time with family then by ensuring you have worked like a little elf yourself in advance.

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 16th.      

 

    

Thoughtful Gifts Unwrapped

What to buy, what to buy.  Being Santa can be a lot of work when we search out the best finds for our family and friends and nestle them beneath the tree in anticipation of the great unwrapping of 2012.  If you feel like you’re in a gift rut or just cannot seem to come up with applicable gifts even for the next gift exchange or as a hostess gift during this holiday party season, here are some thoughts that are all ready for wrapping.

Keep an eye out for items that would be put to use in the home of your gift recipients.  A nice set of glasses, whether flutes in a unique shape or juice glasses with a little flair, could make their next party or even breakfast a little more festive.  Small decorations like candlesticks, bookends, ceramic bowls, and metallic vases or candle holders would surely find a sweet spot on a shelf or tabletop.  Soften their sitting area with a plush throw blanket or embellished accent pillow.  Guest soaps, a set of coasters, a wine bottle bag, or serving utensils for cheese, pie, or salad could be just the thing to bring a little holiday cheer to a hostess who is graciously serving up Christmas dishes. 

For the tech savvy, there is a slew of small and simple and yet desirable products to fill gift boxes and stockings alike.  Small portable speakers that attach to smart phones and music players can help their tunes travel.  There are other little stands and cushions that attach to devices to give them a lift while in hands-free use.  Universal adaptors and chargers can keep the multi-unit owner running on full power. 

The kitchen guru would likely love to receive a special set of olive oils or syrups.  Fancy kitchen hand soaps of the pump bottle variety would surely stay on display.  A designer pitcher or carafe, set of appetizer plates, or set of 4 modern coffee mugs would take their place among the kitchen accessories. 

For the active gift recipient, travel books or fun fact books can be appealing.  A retro game of the board or card variety or some other tabletop activity could pull a crowd together for plenty of laughter and fun over trivia or word games to guess or solve.  A travel clock or sound machine could offer more than sweet dreams.   

Personalizing a simple gift with a mix of your knowledge of your gift recipient and your own personality can illicit “oohhs” and “aahhs” when pretty packages are unwrapped and revealed.  Christmas gifts are not about the pretty penny you could spend; they are a thoughtful token to acknowledge that you care and you remembered at this time of year and always. 

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 9th.

 

 

The Hostess Diary: Filling Up a Different Kind of Stocking

In the busyness that will envelop your home in the next few weeks, the more shortcuts and pre-prep, the merrier.  Keep your important tools and supplies on hand and easily within reach to cut time and save some sanity during the holidays.

Your trusty sidekick this time of year can easily be your scissors.  Between wrapping gift after gift and opening that frustrating plastic packaging so many items come encased in, you can feel strapping on a hip holster is the only way to keep that one pair of good scissors from disappearing.  If that sounds like you, it could be time to multiply your supply.  Buy a few pair of scissors and add them to key kitchen and bathroom drawers, a home office supply caddy, a gift wrapping bin of supplies, and a slot in your knife block.  Why try to keep track of just one main pair?  The same goes for good gift wrap tape dispensers to ensure you have enough well within easy reach. 

Having company can multiple your loads of laundry and keep your machines running repeatedly.  To keep things moving, load up on extra detergent, laundry additive, fabric softener, and dryer sheets to avoid running out or running low and having loads stack up on you.  Keep small laundry bags for delicates in the bottom of the hampers or dirty clothes baskets.  When you sort your laundry, they will be right there, ready for immediate use, saving you from digging in a laundry room cabinet. 

If you don’t already, add a plastic supply caddy under each sink for applicable cleaning supplies.  It is easier to keep cleaners stored away in each room you use them in, instead of lugging one set from bathroom to bathroom.  This is especially quick and easy for cleaning up on the spot, like a little toothpaste left in the sink. 

Take an end-of-the-year inventory of other household supplies and plan to restock where needed to make sure you have enough to carry your home well into the New Year.  Look into your light bulbs, batteries, paper towels, toilet paper, paper napkins, and the like.  As many trips as you will make to stores for groceries and gifts, relegating those types of home supplies to a trip of their own lightens your regular load.  

Determine not to dig, hunt, or scramble to keep things in line and running smoothly around your home this Christmas.  Whether you will be entertaining a houseful or just settling in with the family, a little planning and preparation can be all it takes to take the “bah humbug” out of being a relaxed holiday hostess who really knows how to fill the household stockings. 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 2nd.

Twists on Tree Trimming

The turkey has been carved and the pumpkin pie is all gone, and we feel we’re in the full swing of the holiday season.  Now it is time to turn our decorating attention to Christmas. 

I am a fan of taking your favorite Christmas decorations from years past and mixing them with new pieces throughout the years as you expand your collection.  We often end up with so much in storage that we can pick and choose from our own reserves each year and still give the current Christmas season its own personal touch.  So whether you are bringing out every plastic storage container you own that’s marked “Christmas,” stashing some new selections in your shopping cart, or a mix of both, here are some ideas for what will be trending this Christmas season.  

Traditional red and green will always be a timeless Christmas staple.  If you want to change things up a bit, consider a metallics theme.  Trimming your tree with gold or silver or a blend of both can add elegance to the mix.  Add in some sparkle elements in ribbon you wrap around the tree, glittered or jeweled ornaments, or fancy baubles in your centerpiece, and you take the theme up a notch.  Another popular route is a monochromatic theme.  Choose one color, and make it the primary shade of all your ornaments and the facets of your table centerpiece.  Popular choices aside from red or green include white and shades of blue.  If a walk on the wilder side is more your decorating style, a theme made up of bright shades of hot pink, turquoise, lime green, and purple can be a real pop of color around the tree, over the mantle, and down the dining table.  Straying from the traditional for one year or a few in a row can shake things up and give each Christmas season a new ring to it. 

Whether you pull your beautiful pre-lit tree out of storage or create your own Charlie Brown moment by picking out the perfect evergreen pine on a local lot, it’s what goes on the tree and across the table that can be the icing on your Christmas cake.

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 25th.

 

 

 

Pack It Up

Holiday travel can be a whirlwind of packing the luggage, cramming the car, or holding your breath through airport security in hopes that all your liquids do continue on the trip with you.  If you’re like me, you need “all your stuff,” and the desire to be prepared leaves you toting more luggage than you can easily roll.  The key to a great packing job and a smooth start to your trip is all in the prep work.

First of all, start early.  A last minute rush can lead to shoving clothes in a suitcase and arriving without everything you need and with a wrinkled mess to boot.  Making a list of the number of days, nights, and coordinating clothing needed for each facet of the trip allows you to check things off as you put items in the suitcase.  For toiletries, make a master list of everything you use, print it on cardstock or laminate it, and store that in your suitcase.  When packing up bathroom items, you won’t miss a step that way. 

For hard case suitcases that have a zipped-off compartment on the “lid” that takes up half of the suitcase’s interior, I have learned a packing trick for women in particular.  Pack shoes, purses, jewelry bags, hair styling equipment, and cosmetic cases and bags in the main area of the suitcase, and pack the clothing in the top portion that will be zipped closed and folded over on the base to close the suitcase.  The inclination to start packing the clothes first leaves the bulkier items in the lid, and this can make the suitcase harder to close, while smashing your clothing.

When packing, put as many things as possible inside smaller bags within your luggage.  This makes airport security more private should your bag be opened, and it makes unpacking in a hotel room or guest room more organized.  Pack undergarments and socks inside small zipper bags.  Wrap nice necklaces inside tissue paper, and place each inside a jewelry bag to avoid tangles.  Put shoes inside drawstring shoe bags to keep them off your other items.  To avoid wrinkles, roll up shirts and pants instead of folding them, which reinforces creases.           

 For the savvy traveler, consider the extras you can take along to make your stay more comfortable.  If you are staying with family, you may want to bring a digital alarm clock for a familiar wakeup and the ability to see the time display during the night.  If you are staying in a hotel, bringing a small sound machine can help buffer hallway and elevator ding sounds with white noise to give you a more solid night’s sleep.  For an airplane ride, pack comfort essentials in your carry-on like your own small travel blanket, neck pillow, tissues, hand wipes, and snacks.  Taking a tote bag carry-on you can leave under the seat in front of you instead of the overhead compartment keeps everything within reach the entire flight. 

Plan, pack, and make progress for fun, relaxed, ultra-prepared travel this holiday season!     

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 18th.

 

 

Cents and Scentsability

The feel of a home goes beyond what you see; your other senses pick up on subtleties that add to your perception.  Thinking back on holiday memories, you may see piping hot dishes surrounding the grand turkey serving tray, or spirals of whipped topping rising above your favorite slice of pie.  And it is likely that the smells of the holidays wafting from the kitchen, the dining table, and maybe even the outdoors play a role in how you look back on Thanksgivings and Christmases gone by.  You can give those scents a boost and play up the holiday fall factor in your home and treat your family and your guests to more than what you dish up.

Wall plug-in scent diffusers can work around the clock for you to spread a light fragrance through the air.  Bottles of room spray can be spritzed in the dining room before dinner or in the entryway before guests arrive, but the scent can dissipate pretty quickly.  Scent warmers have grown in popularity.  There are versions that hold a waxy disc over a burning tealight candle that melts and distributes the fragrance, and there are wall plug-in versions that use a light bulb to accomplish the same task.  There of course is always the traditional route of scented candles to create a warm glow and inviting scent at once.  To pull some double duty, utilize bottles of body spray that are fall-focused and use them as a room spray as well.  At quite the price cut off of perfume and cologne, body sprays and mists can make for a very pleasant addition to any room in the home just by a quick spritz and a little coin.  Any of these methods can add that extra dimension of fall scent as you host guests this Thanksgiving. 

 The scent options are seemingly endless, with various stores carrying a slew of spray options to candle selections.  To play up a traditional fall scent, look for versions that have words like "autumn," "fall," "leaves," and "woods" in the title.  These typically are reminiscent of earthy spice notes.  For the more dessert oriented sweet smells, you can never go wrong with a vanilla based fragrance.  Also see what you think of scents centered around cinnamon, cookies, cranberries, candy, pumpkins, and other fall spices.  You can choose a signature scent and offer it up throughout your home, or pick a couple of varieties that blend well together and use them in different areas for some variety as you move from room to room.

You can also think outside the candle holder and opt for more natural additives.  Pour some vanilla in a shallow baking dish or cake pan, and pop that in the oven on low, or alongside a batch of cookies.  The heated liquid will diffuse the scent right out into your kitchen.  Roast shelled nuts on a cookie sheet to use in a dessert or in candy making, but take advantage of the smell that is generated for a time. 

Play up your sense of smell and indulge in the many scents of autumn, all while minding your holiday cents this Thanksgiving.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 11th.

Making Your November Plans

We have entered into November!  And it’s amazing to think that Thanksgiving is just three weeks away.  To avoid the last minute struggle to pull off a polished turkey day, now is the time to get planning. 

By now, you likely want to have “the family plan.”  Are you staying in town or traveling?  Which branch of the family is going to another relative’s home?  If these are things that have not been discussed with your spouse, your parents, or other family members you gather with, now is the time. 

If you are traveling, the main details to be on top of are travel arrangements and food.  Ensure your family is well equipped with appropriate luggage.  If the family vehicle is in need of service, beat the last minute rush and take care of things like an oil change or tire rotation in advance.  If you are flying, confirm your flight reservations and collect all the travel documents in a plastic document case you store with your carryon bag.  If you are arriving with a food dish or dessert, plan for your groceries ahead of time and have a transportation plan in mind.  Disposal baking trays can be handy and do not require you to hang on to a glass baking dish for the trip home.  If you will be buying your groceries and making or baking on-site, make your full grocery list ahead of time and remember to take your recipes with you. 

If you will be playing host or hostess this year, plan indeed.  Write out your guest list and start planning for table seating count.  Do you have enough - or will you need to make arrangements for – chairs, chargers or placemats, and place settings?  If company will be staying over, work on your sleeping arrangement to accommodate your guests.  If your children will need to double up to offer up one bedroom, prep for that.  Start putting together guest sheet sets inside the matching pillow cases for easy retrieval, along with gathering and laundering blankets and other bedding.  Stock up on guest toiletries like extra toothbrushes, shampoo, and shower gel.  Have household extras on hand for the influx of guests, like laundry detergent, dish washing liquid, and paper goods.  Coordinate with guests about who is responsible for what dishes and start your menu plan and grocery list.  To make the week-of run most smoothly, write out a plan for tasks to accomplish each day, such as when to shop, thaw the turkey, pick out serving dishes, set the table beforehand, and so forth.   

The more you plan in advance, the more time you will have to enjoy your company and soak in the start of the holidays.  It is a time to celebrate, reflect, and acknowledge all you have to be thankful for.  A good jump start can be just what you need to give you the time and space to do just that. 

 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 4th.