Fun Home Decor Under $10

A little can go a stylishly long way when you’re on the hunt for fun home décor pieces for a bargain.  So spend a little, get a lot when you make a spectacle out of inexpensive items.

Striped and Chevron Straws – Fill a glass canister or apothecary jar with modern paper straws in different colors, and you have a functional pop of spring on your counter.

Bud Vases – Cluster a few together to hold single stems, or take it a step further by dipping the bases in paint on varying angles to create your own custom designed décor.

Slate Tiles – Use painter’s tape or stencils to create stripes or a chevron pattern to make your own chalk-like coasters for the living room.    

Plates – Find cute appetizer, salad, or dessert plates in wilder patterns than you’d use for everyday meals, and hang them in a collection on the wall or use them in hot spots to hold loose coins, glasses, and keys.

Burlap – Turn a wide roll into a table runner for spring or fill a picture frame without the glass for a textured place to hang earrings. 

Craft Paper – Add pieces to a frame instead of a photo, decoupage it onto a small accessories’ box, cover books on a shelf or soap bars in a jar, or add a band to a cylinder vase.

Mason Jars – Fill with markers, binder clips, or tape rolls in the office; rice, flour, or teabags in the kitchen; batteries, nails, or coins in the laundry room; or cosmetics, cotton squares, or cotton swabs in the bathroom.

House Numbers – whimsically number hooks for towels in the kids’ bathroom or hooks for keys, jackets, or umbrellas in the entryway.

Cup Towels – easily add a seasonal touch with bright colored or printed cup towels over the handles of the dishwasher or stove.

 Fishbowl Vases – Fill with candy, gumballs, bracelets, rings, rocks, or beads for small decorate accents.     

Ceramic Mini Pots – Use them for succulents or herbs, or use craft foam, moss, and seasonal décor like paper flags staked in each as part of a centerpiece.  Spray paint or dip the bases in paint to further make them your own. 

Printed Paper Cups or Bowls – serve popcorn or other snacks in cute disposable paper goods, whether for a party, post-Easter egg hunt dessert, or just to make the everyday more special. 

Simple, low cost items can turn decorative accents in no time with a little creativity and know-how.  See what you can accessorize this spring for less than $10 a piece . . . 

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

Old Is New Again

Spring can be one of those underserved seasons for new décor.  If you’re not into little bunny or ceramic egg figurines, you may save your shopper’s eye focus for later in the year.  Instead, take the opportunity to scope out older pieces around your home and help them make like a flower and bloom again this month.

Plastic fruit may have seen its hay day for being on display.  However, give old, dusty fruit décor new life with a fresh coat of paint.  Spray paint plastic fruit pieces, minus their stems, all one color, like a crisp white or robin’s egg blue, and fill a serving bowl to showcase on your kitchen counter or breakfast table.  A dated set of canisters can get a do-over when you paint them to blend nicely with your counters or to stand out in a bright pop of color.  Need some new simple vases for what’s blooming in the backyard?  Line up a row of old juice glasses, vintage milk bottles, or wine bottles and give them a spray in a spring green or pink paint shade, and you’re ready to put small bouquets out for show-and-smell.

The presence of digital photos has caused many of us to end up with an old box of photo frames on a closet shelf somewhere.  But you can take those old wooden or tarnished metal frames and give them a second life with paint.  Gather a grouping of frames, minus their glass, and spray them all one color, like white, gray, or yellow; a gradient of color by using both a darker and lighter shade of the same color on different frames; or a metal finish like brushed nickel for an updated gallery ready to hang and admire. 

Go on a hunt for other left-behind decorations you can spring forward.  Cover the face of a wall clock or mirror and paint the perimeter in a great shade to warrant rehanging it.  Take an old cart, crate, shelf, galvanized bucket, or serving tray and make it look like it just came off the showroom floor.  Glass and ceramic dishes, plates, and bowls (not used for food service) can be painted for new display pieces for surfaces throughout your home. 

Go beyond a couple of coats of one color if you want to.  Use painters tape or stencils to create stripes, chevron patterns, and monograms.  Opt for chalkboard paint to jump on that popular bandwagon.  Finish off a painted surface with a coat or two of pearlized glaze that you spray on for an iridescent finish and shimmery shine. 

Look around for décor pieces that could use a second wind, making old new again.  Some crafting on your part can have you turning old items into new creations fit for a new, sunny season.      

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

Manage Your March: the Outdoors

As things start to warm up and green up, we’re entering our long season of outdoor living and entertaining.  By maintaining our outdoor space and keeping it organized, it’s primed and ready the next time you want to take the party outside.

“Supply and demand” can also feel like it means that you demand to keep your supplies where you put them, minus water hoses walking off and never being able to find the right tool or gardening supply when you need it.  So house your outdoor maintenance items right.  You may have room in the garage for a section dedicated to them, but you may not.  Consider a small tool shed or supply container similar to the size of a chest deep freezer.  Today’s tool sheds come in kits you assemble, and they look like attractive mini houses.  Placing one in your backyard or on the slab of a patio can give you room enough for the lawnmower, ladder, weed eater, mulch, fertilizer, and even shelves of tools and other supplies.  Keep it under lock and key, and you’re protecting your investments from the elements and theft alike.  Additionally, large storage containers with hinged lids offer space for shovels and spades, hoses and watering cans, seeds and pesticides.  Add an outdoor-only broom for patio sweeping that stays out of sight.  Top with a layer of outdoor fabric cushions on the lid, and you’ve added additional seating to your back patio space.

If you’re into gardening, use a weatherproof rolling cart to hold your go-to supplies like gloves, hand tools, and potting soil.  Keep a boot tray outside your patio door to keep dirty shoes from tracking your backyard in.  If outdoor games occupy your patio space, a short shelving system can hold sealed bins of balls, paddles, rackets, and darts.  Keep a container of cleaning wipes stored away outdoors for quick wipe-downs of patio furniture just before you’re ready to use it.

Also consider your home’s front entry.  Are your house numbers visible from the street?  If all you have is a faded indicator on the curb, refresh your mailbox numbers and add decorative house numbers to your exterior in a high-visibility spot.  Is it time for a fresh coat of paint on your home’s trim?  Think about making that a budget item this spring.  If you have various items just left out that should be located elsewhere, take the time to clean up and remove anything that’s not adding to your curb appeal.  A good sweeping, door cleaning, new welcome mat, and maybe a few potted plants or succulents can go a long way to renewing your entryway’s look for spring.

Manage your outside with the same care the inside deserves.  So whether you’re ready to sit out with an ice-cold lemonade and watch a sunset or get to that more consistent lawn maintenance, you’re doing it in a space all set for outdoor living.

Today mark’s DesignInMind’s 200^th column!     

Appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 30th.     

Managing Your March: the Home Office

Tackling and taming the paperwork that comes in and out of your home can feel like an unsurmountable task if you’re looking around at piles of mail, documents from work, bills to pay, and papers to get to from school and social outlets. Clear the clutter by implementing home office systems that keep those papers in line.

Have a designated space to work with.  Not all homes have a room for a home office, but in that case, set aside a workable area to store what you need that allows you to work, type, and write when you need to.  That could be a low counter in the kitchen or laundry room, a nook of a guest room, or a small writing desk you place where it suits your space.

Get your tools in order.  A small rolling or stationary metal cart or stand is a great sized piece to have a printer on top and document cases or magazine files on the shelves below.  There are also rolling filing carts that have a top portion allotted for hanging file folders and two metal drawers below for office supplies, and they roll right under a desk beside your chair space.  A designated desk or slim foyer or sofa table can house a laptop or desktop computer and your basic supplies like pens, stamps, and your everyday planner.  You can designate a kitchen, laundry, or mudroom cabinet for supplies like paper and office supplies out of sight.  If space allows, an open cubby system that doubles as a nice piece of furniture is great to hold office supplies in bins, magazines, stationery, files, and books right near where you will use them. Use wall space near your work area for a dry erase or chalkboard calendar for family schedules and a peg board for reminders, invitations, and notes.

Create a flow for paper.  Mail that comes in the house needs a streamlined process to go through to avoid the issue of piling up.  Sort mail where you can throw away the trash, recycle, and move important documents into bins, trays, magazine files, or folders that are designated for action: To Pay, To File, and To Do.  This can work better than having one in-box for some.  Then tend to those containers consistently to avoid having a lot to attend to in one sitting.  File documents in a way that works for you – file folders, notebooks, documents cases – that can be easily accessible when you need something out or need to file something away, while being easily moved on to inactive storage at the end of the year.  Keep 7 years’ worth of pertinent records for tax purposes, keep a reasonable amount of keepsake type items, and keep unimportant documents from taking up your space by getting rid of them.  Yearly records can be stored in labeled document archive boxes or bankers’ boxes and moved to your storage space and out of your work space. 

Don’t let paper overwhelm you or your home.  Create an environment just right for a little at-home work supplied with what you need in an orderly fashion.  And be willing to properly store or throw out what’s choking your space.  When you create a home office space you actually enjoy working in, you might be surprised just how productive you can be. Next week: we’re going outdoors!   

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

Manage Your March: the Bedroom

Reorganizing in your home’s bedrooms can give you a real sense of renewal for spring.  Think about getting back to basics and protecting your space as the haven it should be.  You might just wind up feeling like you have your own hotel suite around the clock.

Look at each bedroom as you would imagine a stranger would in order to gain a little distance in your perspective.  Would someone raise an eyebrow at the kids’ toys taking over the master or the home office space that started in a corner but has seemingly grown?  Refocus your space on the essentials: sleep, privacy, and clothing storage.  That may mean hauling out items that just don’t belong and that are choking out your space, rest, and sense of peace and calm.  Reapportion those non-bedroom items to other appropriate areas of your home, incorporate them into storage, or remove them altogether through a charity donation. 

Take the opportunity to try a new furniture arrangement to refresh what you have and perhaps get more than you had before.  You may find a way to add a small seating area in the master bedroom with a new orientation, like moving the bed to another wall or on an angle or pushing two chests of drawers together to turn two pieces visually and spatially into one.  You may open up space in a child’s bedroom to take toy storage vertical or incorporate a desk area as they progress through school or now have some room for a new storage piece in your guest room.  Work off the premise of keeping the essentials and making them as attractive and functional as your space allows.  On a smaller scale, rearrange your wall art or small décor pieces within a room, or swap things out from other rooms for a new look without making a purchase.

Do some reorganizing.  If you didn’t really hit the dresser drawers during your closet organization, sift and sort and make sure what you’re storing is being worn, not just cramming your drawers.  Clean off the nightstand tops of items that just seem to be piled there, and go through the drawers for a clean out.  Clear out under the bed, vacuum with the wand extensively, and only put back what is stored neatly.  Under-the-bed storage bins are great low profile storage pieces that can easily be pulled out and pushed back, and they keep loose items from just being shoved under.  Use them to store things like gift wrap rolls, flat packed bags, additional shoes, travel or seasonal accessories, or nail care supplies. 

Expend the energy for some deeper cleaning.  Vacuum under furniture, even if you don’t rearrange the room. Launder drapery panels if that’s an option, and give the windows and blinds a thorough cleaning.  Launder the bed skirt, comforter, blankets, and shams that aren’t cleaned in your regular routine.  Clean baseboards, door knobs, and light switches right along with your furniture dusting and mirror cleaning.             

The bedrooms are supposed to be the quiet, restful retreats in your home.  The effort to ensure they function that way will be well worth it when you stand back and marvel at your spring-ready spaces.  Now, get some good sleep.  Next week: the home office!  

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

Manage Your March: the Closet

The closet space: prime real estate in any home, and yet, many feel somewhat like a desert tundra, parched and gasping for air.  And space.  And order.  Turn that wasteland into your own private clothing store where every piece is easy to find and up for grabs.

The closet purge is one of the biggest steps to hurdle in reorganizing a closet, but it is also one of the most rewarding and freeing when all you want is some freed up space to really get your things in order.  Take the time to go through, piece by piece, all of your clothing, shoes, purses, belts, ties, scarves, and any other accessories present.  Pull out what you truly won’t wear again, using criteria like fit, fashion, and favorites.  Does it fit you well?  Is it current among the wardrobe you’re wearing?  And does it make the cut and make the rounds in your washer and dryer because it’s actually in your rotation?  If the answer isn’t yes to all 3, you’re likely wasting a hanger better put to use with a new piece.  Gather all the items headed out the closet door and make good use of them through a local charity donation.  Then keep a bin or bag on the floor of your closet to add pieces to over time, taking it to a donation site when it is filled up. 

Consider the space you have.  If every shirt, pair of pants, dress, or jacket is cram-packed in, and you struggle to get hangers in and out, rethink your quantity.  It has to be based on the space you have.  Know your closet’s limits for good use and proper storage and easy-to-see principles, and store accordingly.  My rule for my closet, which is at proper capacity, is a new piece in, an old piece out.  I don’t have free hangers; they are in use, and if a new item comes in, one that doesn’t make the cut as outlined above goes out.  Free hanger, meet my new selection.

Use tools suited to your needs, like belt and tie hooks or loops, clear bin shoe stackers or shoe racks, sweater bins, shelf dividers – whatever it takes to have a place for everything so you can easily keep everything in its place.  These items may not be acquired all at once, but consider consciously adding storage pieces to your space over time.  Hang, line up, or contain the purses you do carry.  Utilize any open wall space for a jewelry organizer or added shelving if you have the room.  Try to keep folded t-shirts or sweaters in dresser drawers to avoid avalanche clothing piles on shelves, or contain them in bins or clear containers to maintain order and accessibility. 

Utilize the closets throughout your home to ideally store items not related to clothing and accessories outside the bedroom closet.  Make over a hall closet to hold linens, towels, and the vacuum cleaner.  Bring in under-the-bed boxes to move keepsakes, gift wrap rolls, and so forth out of your closet.  Move some appropriate items to cabinets in your laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom.  Corral luggage in a guest closet, storage space, or attic. 

Use some online inspiration from organizing websites, some time over a weekend perhaps, and some muscle to sift, sort, and store what matters to you in the most orderly and fashionably accessible way.  Next week: the bedrooms!       

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

Manage Your March: the Kitchen

As spring is on its way and March can have you motivated to clean and organize (here’s hoping, right?), we’ll dedicate this month of columns to managing your home, spring cleaning style.  First up: the hub of the home, the kitchen.

Get down and dirty to get one of the most used areas of your home sparkling and renewed.   Start inside your pantry and cabinets.  Remove everything, one shelf or cabinet at a time. You can remove more than one section at a time if you intend to do some rearranging as you put items back (or if the really undone look won’t overwhelm you).  Wipe down all the surfaces with a hot, soapy dish cloth or antibacterial kitchen wipes.  Replace old contact paper with new versions if needed (the spongy, easy-cut material can be better and more stay-put than the older paper styles). 

Go through all of your pantry items and check dates, throwing out outdated, long overdue, or skipped-over food that likely won’t get eaten.  Look into your dry goods, oils, spices, boxed meals, and canned goods in particular.  Take stock of what you have and what you need, making a pantry restock grocery list as you go.  You want to keep general use items on hand, like staples needed to make a batch of cookies or cook spaghetti, and buy specialty items only as planned recipes call for them.  This helps you manage your space and keep your inventory in check. 

Look over your arrangement of glasses, dishes, cookware, and bakeware.  Is your layout in your cabinets the best use of the space you have?  Does it make unloading the dishwasher and setting the table a streamlined process?  Could you better use the space you have or remove unused pieces altogether?  Let your answers to these questions direct any action you take to make your kitchen storage space function at the highest level.  Do the same for your drawers.  Clear them out, wipe them down, and reload them, keeping like items together in the proper storage bins and dividers, and getting rid of stirring spoons, spatulas, etc. that have been burned or torn and could cause little pieces of plastic or silicone to come off in use.  If you need to revamp your stock, add some pieces to your wish list. If you have cooking or serving pieces that are “so old” and don’t get used anymore, or you have multiple mix-matched sets that could use some paring down, consider selling or donating your excess to open up some storage space, leaving you with an uncluttered, easy access look. 

Finish off with your countertops.  If you leave small appliances out that seldom get used, consider storing them away for clear, open, easy-clean counter space.  Other options to consider are using a knife block designed to fit inside a drawer or doing away with the container of utensils and opting for storing them in divided drawer bins instead.  Give every surface a thorough cleaning, including over and under the microwave, toaster oven, and every grip, handle, and pull in the room.

Tackling a kitchen spring cleaning project can be a lot of work, but it can reap major benefits for the chef in you.  Next week: the closets!        

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

Hit Repeat

Just like a good song played over again, repeating certain pieces of furniture and accessories can have you thinking they’re twice as nice.

Many home offices work well for one by sheer configuration.  Instead, opt to accommodate two by placing two slim desks together, front to front, to create a larger work surface where two can sit opposite each other and work.  In a smaller space, press one of the double ends against the wall for a peninsula approach.  With more space, center the double desk in the room, anchored with an area rug. 

The same premise applies to two sets of shelving back to back that can double as a room divider or two spacious sofa table-style pieces that can provide a wider work surface in a laundry or craft room.  Or select two or four small tables or ottomans to stand in place of one traditional coffee table.

One mirror on the wall can be pretty and serve its reflective function.  Hang multiple mirrors on a wall and opt for a wow factor focal point instead.  Hang several of the same square, rectangular, or round mirrors in a medium size in a grid pattern behind your flat screen television to give your entertainment wall more presence.  Do the same on a large section of open wall space in the entryway, dining room, or master bedroom for a standout gallery effect.  Also, take the same or similar framed prints and give them more emphasis when hung in a repeating pattern.    

If you choose to not paint a chalkboard wall but like that write-on option, hang a series of matching framed chalkboards in a line or grid on an office, playroom, or laundry room wall.  For added family room seating, forgo another loveseat and instead place two smaller side chairs side by side or two to four ottomans or cubes alongside your seating arrangement.  To capitalize on finding that great area rug that’s not quite large enough for a room’s arrangement, buy two and use them side by side.  The price of two medium size rugs can be more cost effective than one huge one.   

If one is good, two or more could be better.  When considering a new piece or a new configuration with more form and function, hit repeat on a key piece and enjoy those added beauty benefits. 

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

Kick It Up a Notch

A great spring decorating accessory for just about any room is your everyday cake stand.  It doesn’t have to stay with its dome lid, and it isn’t just for sweet treats anymore.

Cake stands are one of those kitchen-section items to keep an eye out for in varying materials, colors, sizes, and price points.  You may not want your grandmother’s crystal stand to pull any double duty around your home, but a less expensive version in a heartier material can be just the lift you need to show off your goods.  Look for options in melamine, earthenware, and even wood, along with varying glass versions. 

Place a cake stand in the center of the table to give any centerpiece element a lift, like a vase, a plant, or some seasonal décor.  This is especially handy on a slim dining table, allowing a little room for placemats or chargers to slide under the overhang of a cake stand and still have the room for an attractive centerpiece.  Also, use a cake stand to lift up a pizza or casserole dish in the center of the table at dinner (as long as it can take the heat).

Use a cake stand on a foyer or sofa table to collect the day’s mail and the keys.  Place a stand on a bathroom counter to hold a few candles, like a collection of pillars or a blend of glass jars and votives in different sizes.  A cake stand on the kitchen counter can pull the weight of a fruit bowl but with more display power; layer on your bananas, tomatoes, onions, avocados, or other fruits and veggies.

A cake stand in the office can give you a bit more useable desk space when you elevate a jar of pens or pencils, a notepad, stapler, and mini dishes of office supplies like paperclips, push pins, or rubber bands.  You can also display invitations, thank you notes, or cards, or elevate a small in-box for bills or to-do items.

Corral necklace strands and bracelets on a cake stand on the bathroom counter or dresser top.  If you stack two cake stands, one smaller over a larger one, you can add more decorative storage space and can hang dangly earrings on the edge of the top layer.  This would be an attractive organizational tool for younger girls’ rooms as well.

You have many surfaces around your home that can be taken to a new level in storage and style when you kick it up a notch with a pretty, practical cake stand.   

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

BE a Valentine

It was one year ago today that I walked down the aisle to the man who asked for my hand and who would then always be my Valentine.  As this Friday approaches, it’s a nice opportunity to think about sweet, “little nothings” that can add up to some pretty special somethings for the Valentines in your life.

If you have a significant other to share Valentine’s Day with, celebrate that.  Even if you don’t, look for ways to treat those around you, connected or strangers, to a little dose of Cupid for the day.  Buy some Valentine cards like the ones you would have given out in school and leave one in various places: with your tip for your server at lunch, in your mailbox for your letter carrier, on the counter while in line at a store, in the cup holder of your movie theater seat, and so forth.  Buy a bag of individually wrapped Valentine candy or lollipops and leave one on each of your co-workers desks or in your kids’ lunchboxes.  Decorate the desk of a single co-worker with some themed paper decorations.  Wrap up cookies, brownies, or rice treats you make and give little treat bags to teachers, neighbors, or friends. 

Buy a bouquet of flowers and hand out stems to a nurse, a bus driver, a checker, a clerk, or others you encounter during your day; you know the gesture would make theirs.  You could tie red and pink balloons to the side mirrors of cars on your street or in your office parking lot, or release a set of helium balloons in the neighborhood with Valentine cards inside.  You could pay for the order of the person in line behind you at a coffee place or drive-thru restaurant.  Buy a few $5 gift cards from a coffee place and add a message like “I wish you ‘a latte’ love” or “I love you ‘a latte’” before giving them out.  Plan ahead and order a tray of cookies for your church or school office or a local charity or organization.  Bring a box of Valentine cupcakes to a board meeting or to a local fire or police station.  Leave a mini box of chocolates behind when you pick up your dry cleaning, drop off a pet for grooming, get your vehicle serviced, or get a haircut. 

Hold open doors with a smile, offer a “Happy Valentine’s Day” to a stranger, and wear your red and pink clothing or accessories with flair.  Because at the end of the day, it’s all about love.  It’s a day to remind yourself and others that God loves us, that He chose us, and that He thinks we’re so special He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so we could always be together when we choose him back.  One simple yet distinctive day to mindfully acknowledge those around us with gratitude and love is the opportunity we have before us.  Do we have that opportunity every day?  Yes.  But we don’t always take it.  So this Valentine’s Day, say it, show it, live it, and be a Valentine you’d love to receive.    

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

Krystal and Tyler Stenseng

The big day one year ago today . . . 

           

Make Your Own

If you’re like me, you come across ideas - on television, in magazines, online, in your imagination - and then you set about putting some of those ideas into action.  But sometimes it’s not as easy as going to the store and picking up a ready-made version.  Don’t fret.  Just make your own.  Let’s explore some DIY projects to bring about display-worthy results.

Sometimes 1 and 1 makes a pretty attractive 2.  Standard canisters can be just that – standard.  But for your kitchen or craft storage, you have the option to take either mason jars or apothecary jars in various shapes and sizes and combine them with a stencil and paint for a customized version.  You could spray paint numbers or words on the outside for a streamlined look to your countertop or cabinet storage. Or you could paint a decorative section of chalkboard paint for easy-to-change labeling.

Coasters are another simple make-at-home project that add a little pop of color or print to your side tables.  Use 4 inch plain white square tiles from the hardware store and top them with a section of craft paper you decoupage on with the special glue, tiny glass tiles on the mesh backing you apply with Thinset, or even small objects like a grid of Scrabble tiles you superglue on to the base.  Add some small felt pads to the underside of the four corners, and you’re ready to drink up in style.

Whether you’re organizing at home or decorating a gift with a custom tag, those pretty labels you see on the creations of others aren’t always ready-made. Your best bet may be to buy white cardstock or labels to run through your own home printer and get crafty in a program like Publisher or find modern templates online.  Choose 6-per-page round stickers, square or rectangular labels, or full sheet label pages you can custom cut, all in a glossy finish, and put your own touch on your stored containers, wrapped presents, or give-away kitchen treats.   Additionally, if you’re always in search of a great, new font, look into your online options for creating your very own font out of your handwriting to use on your projects and invitations.

If the commercial wall calendars you find fall short of your family organizing purposes, make your own.  Wall space in your back entryway or laundry room can be spray painted with chalkboard paint to give you a custom sized surface to work with.  And then use stencils or painters’ tape to paint white or colored gridlines, a section for notes, days of the week, or a creative heading on the fully dry surface.  Use chalk to change your month, dates, and to-do notes, and have a place to see one big family schedule.            

You may be your best asset for adding customized elements to your home when you get crafty and make your own versions of popular items that really are display-worthy.  

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

You Can Never Have Too Many . . .

The words “stocking up” can cause you to imagine stuffing your cart or storage closet with an abundance of bulk items that you may or may not be able to use up in, well, a lifetime.  So the phrase “you can never have too many” can be taken to extremes, but for all practical purposes, let’s look at some smaller items it’s okay to toss a few extra of in your shopping cart so you never come up short when you need them.

Cocktail Napkins – For a party or for everyday use with company and the family alike, these decorative, square beauties can add a little flair to a drink tray or table spread.  With all the designs, colors, and themes to choose from, having multiples on hand throughout the year makes them grab-and-go easy.

Note Cards and Envelopes – For a thank you note, birthday card, or gift tag, having cardstock note cards at the ready can save you last minute trips to the store when an occasion arises.  Look for options in a rainbow of colors, textures, and designs, or have some custom stationery printed with your name or monogram.  Make sure you have the right size envelopes on hand as well, which can also be purchased in a wide variety of shades.

Candles – With beautiful scents and attractive packaging, candles in pillars and jars in particular can be a great post-season sale item to stock up on.  Keep sweet, fruity, baked goods, or cologne smelling candles on hand for all year burning, too.

Gift Wrapping Supplies –Wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift wrap tape, and rolls of ribbon all at home can be a real timesaver the next time a gift giving opportunity presents itself.  You can forgo the theme-specific baby and birthday wrap taking up your storage space and instead opt for picking up rolls in modern prints, patterns, and attractive colors that offer you both gender options to use for any purpose.  

Storage Baskets – Attractive enough to sit out and functional enough to divide and conquer your storage space, storage baskets in a variety of sizes and shapes shouldn’t go to waste if you capitalize on a sale and add a few more to your collection.  Use them to hold anything from bathroom toiletries and towels to toys and books to chords and craft supplies.

Keep your eyes peeled for good deals on everyday items it doesn’t hurt to have a few more of, and then take them home and put them to work for you, saving time, space, or just simply being beautiful.   

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 26th.

Vamp Up Your Valentine’s Day: Plan Ahead Ideas

Don’t let commercialism get you down about Valentine’s Day.  If you get wrapped up in “this is just a holiday to boost card sales,” you miss an opportunity to express your love in creative, sweet ways to your spouse, your children, your parents, or other loved ones.  Instead, ditch the day-of dash for a box of chocolates and opt for a pre-planned treat sure to entice that “I love you” right back.

Your gift doesn’t have to be edible, so think outside the heart-shaped box.  Take a deck of playing cards and a permanent marker, and delve into why your Valentine is loved.  Use the king or queen of hearts as your top card, and write “52 Reasons Why I Love You” across the middle.  And then use each card as a love note, outlining one-liners about big and small reasons you love this special gift recipient.  You could also print out a photo page that says “I love you because:” with a big blank line underneath it.  Frame the page, and use a dry erase marker on the frame’s glass to write your fill-in-the-blank message and be able to change out the reason.  This could offer up a gift that keeps giving. 

Look up online recipes for making your own unique gifts, like a scented hand scrub that only takes a few simple ingredients.  Fill up a small mason jar with your concoction, and add your own custom made label to the lid.  Or take different kinds of candy and fill up your own jar and add a custom label or tag that offers a play on words, like a jar of gummy worms that says “I’m hooked on you,” or a jar of all one color of candy or gumballs with one standout piece in a different color with a tag that says “You’re one in a million.” 

For the kids, make the morning memorable with red and pink helium balloons filling the kitchen at breakfast and serving heart-shaped pancakes or an egg dish with some pink strawberry milk.  Send them off to school with the Valentines theme in their heart-shaped sandwich cutout, dipped strawberries, and some red and pink confetti in their lunchbox.

 To satisfy their (and your) sweet tooth, opt for gifting themed cupcakes, homemade cookies, cake pops, pretzel rods dipped in chocolate and then colored sprinkles, or marshmallow rice treats with red and pink candy pieces mixed in.  Sweet, but not standard.

Explore your options for offering up loving gifts that took a little thought and a little time to tell your Valentine why you would pick them all over again.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 19th.

Mark Your Calendars

Prep, plan, and preview the best times in 2014 to upgrade, update, and underpay for items you want to add to your home.  Retailers are keen on what is popular to purchase in certain months, and many are happy to oblige with lower price tags to entice shoppers through their doors.  So mark your calendars for a year of home savings made simple.  

January is a prime month to get a discounted rate on exercise equipment.  Weight loss and better fitness top many New Year’s Resolution lists, and consumers can buy machines and smaller accessories alike for less.  Additionally, winter sales on bedding and towels can make this month a great time to bring home new linens.

February centers around electronics, with televisions and cameras topping the list.  TVs can be found for deeper discounts post Super Bowl, and new camera models for spring drop the prices on 2013 versions.

March starts to warm things up across the country, and those with a green thumb get to work, causing discounted prices aplenty on lawn equipment, seeds, plants, and mulch.  This is also a great month to invest in some new luggage if yours has seen one too many rounds on the luggage carousel.       

April is a home decorator’s key month to take advantage of graduation, Mother’s Day, and the summer’s wedding season with retail discounts on décor and accessories that make perfect gifts.  Pick up some new candles, glassware, or picture frames for less.  To keep things tidy, a new vacuum cleaner can be found for less before new models roll out in early summer.

May sales focus on the great outdoors with price cuts on patio grills for seasonal entertaining and more plants, both flowers and vegetables, as planting season is wrapping up.  Sprucing up your patio before the summer barbeques start just got easier.

June is the top of wedding season, and your kitchen can benefit from the plethora of gift registries being shopped from out there with lower costs on dishes, glasses, and flatware. With Father’s Day approaching, the popular gift of tools can be purchased for less, allowing you to stock up for your honey-do projects around the house.

July sales drop prices on big ticket items like mattresses, allowing you to upgrade your master bedroom’s central element.  Home improvement stores discount cans of paint, making the summer an advantageous time to maximize your paint budget, adding new color indoors or out.

August rounds out the summer season, discounting some plants and shrubs, giving you one more opportunity to upgrade your curb appeal before the temperature starts to dip.  If your home office could use a revamp, shop around for a new computer right along with all those college students helping sales pop up.

September is all about the furniture sales, for your home and your patio.  Labor Day ticket prices fall for couches, chairs, beds, and tables, along with outdoor patio table sets and lounge furniture.

October offers another kitchen upgrade with less expensive pots, pans, and other cookware right before the holiday season.

November can add to that kitchen wish list with slashed prices on small appliances perfect for the countertop, as well as helping you get a jump on Christmas gifts before December.

December is a good time to look into discounted flooring for your home, since sales can increase while personal home spending takes a backseat to gifts for under the tree.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 12th.

New Year Redesign

The plastic bins come out, the Christmas decorations come down, and then you look around and think . . . now what?  The temptation is there to run out and buy new accessories and décor to fill in your now bare, sad looking tables, shelves, and other furniture tops.  After all, Christmas decorations fill up your home, and they’re warm and homey, and when they’re put away, you want that feeling to stay behind.  A little simple redesign can be what you need to make your pre-holiday look feel fresh and new again.

Moving things around and rearranging can make a big difference, because you’re introducing your eye to a new layout to feast on.  This is a great time of year to rearrange furniture like the configuration of your couches or the orientation of your bed.  If you feel like tackling that project, the time and energy investment will allow you to reap the rewards well into spring.

Whether you go big or not, you can focus on your small décor and ratchet up its pop factor with a series of switcheroos.  To really carry it throughout the house, clear the dining table and maybe some other nearby furniture surfaces.  Take every small decoration on display around your home and place it on the table.  Remove your frames, vases, bowls, book stacks, little statues, figurines, candlesticks, and the like.  Now would be a great time to really dust well, by the way.  And then go “shopping.”  Look over your in-house selection and take your own pieces and place them in new places in different rooms.  Make fresh groupings of accessories on your shelves and tables.  In the end, save yourself something for a dining room centerpiece. 

Another step to take would be to move your wall art around.  You may have a hallway mirror that would look great in your entryway for a while.  A family collage of photos hanging in the living room could get a revamp with more current images and a different layout.  There could be smaller pieces spread here and there that would take on a more gallery look if they were hung all together on a prominent family room wall. 

You’ll find that your eye is drawn to your new creative arrangements when you walk into a room in the same way it is when you bring something brand new home.  The same ol’ same ol’ can get stale with time and familiarity.  Shake things up this January for a renewed look and perhaps outlook in 2014.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 5th.