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Beautifying Your Home
"Learn how to be happy with what you havewhile you pursue all that you want." --Jim Rohn As a frequent traveler, I'm often amazed at how dramatically my mood changes depending on where I am staying. I have stayed in some very nice hotels that were so warm and welcoming I loved being in my room. Other rooms were so dark and uninviting I found my mood spiraling downward. Our environment and surroundings play a huge part in how we feel on a day-to-day basis. Think about it. When your home is messy, chaotic, cluttered, and filled with piles, how do you feel? My guess is "stressed" is amongst the adjectives that top your list. Likewise, when our homes are clean and straightened we feel more at peace. So why not create a dream home for yourself? You don't need a million dollar budget and a designer's help. Instead, approach your home with the same mentality we bring to this challenge - one day, one step, one project - at a time. The task of beautifying your home will be an ongoing process. I recommend getting a separate binder for this project. I have a binder with dividers for each room of the house that I wanted to "beautify." Then when I found pictures, ideas, or had inspirations, I would store the information behind the applicable room tab. The process of going through your home is much like when we created the MASTER TASK LIST. Choose a room in which to start. Sit down for a good twenty minutes, really taking in all the items, furniture, textures, and colors of the room. Then imagine how you would like the room to be. Don't be shy, write down anything that comes to mind no matter how crazy it seems. There may be things on your list that aren't practical right now and that's okay. These notes will give you a clue into the traits and mood you want to create in the room and you may be able to find a less expensive alternative. (For example, in one room I would have loved new hardwood floors. Instead, I found that sanding the current wood floors and covering them with inexpensive rugs purchased at a wholesale outlet, created the nice warm feeling I was looking for.) Here are some specific things to think about in each room: COLOR: Do the walls represent the room? If your house has all white walls, consider toying with color. Painting a room is the quickest way to give it a fresh look. Stenciling is another option for those who don't want to brave a full paint makeover. If you want to keep your white walls, are there prints or paintings that could be added to give the room a new tone? What types of prints and paintings would you enjoy - abstract, contemporary, wildlife? What colors should the paintings emphasize to help coordinate the overall color of the room? FURNITURE: Are there pieces of furniture that need to be refinished, repaired, or replaced? Are there any pieces you would like to add? WINDOWS: Do you like your current window coverings? If not, what would you prefer? Would you like to go with a valance? Blinds? No coverings? DECORATIONS: What elements could be added to change the tone of the room? How about a small water fountain in a room where you like to relax? Fountains can be found very inexpensively at stores like Target or Wal-Mart. Would an arrangement of candles or dried flowers add to the room? Could you remove items to simplify the space? Could you swap items with items from another area of the house for a fresh feel? FOLIAGE: What about plants? Plants quickly provide a new feel within a room. If you have a bad history with plants, don't despair. Visit your local garden center and explain you want a very durable plant for someone without a "green thumb." These garden experts can help you pick the plant that is best for you. FLOOR COVERING: How do you want your floors to look? Would you like rugs, floor coverings, hardwood, or to lay new tile? Idea-Gathering Gathering ideas can be a very fun step. Begin by paging through magazines and finding attractive rooms. For example, if you are working on your living room, begin by finding living rooms that have a theme or feel you would like to emulate in your own home. Don't worry if you can't find something that is exactly like what you want; you can clip furniture from one picture and paintings from another. Here are a few more sources for idea-gathering: 1. If you have a friend who has a "knack" for displays and interior design, consider seeking her help and recommendations. 2. Visit furniture stores, antique shops, and department stores to gather ideas for displays and decoration. Check your local library and bookstore for additional books and ideas. 3. The internet also has a ton of great resources for decorating. Try doing a search at www.google.com for decorating. The Better Homes and Gardens website has a lot of great resources as well - you can find that at www.bhg.com. 4. Visit your local improvement store. Look at their idea books and magazines. Find paint samples and color palettes that are appealing to you. 5. Let the process of gathering ideas take as long as you desire. Remember this is a work in progress. Once you have some ideas, pick one to start. I encourage you to work through one room at a time, completing it in its entirety before moving to the next room. This way you will be able to enjoy one room while working on the others and not cause a lot of clutter or disruption in the home. Remember that decorating and performing a facelift to a room needn't be costly or time consuming. Adding a new print to a wall, colorful pillows to a couch, or a few plants can breathe new life into a tired room. Your Assignment Begin gathering ideas. Try to choose at least one idea that can be implemented today to beautify your home. Brook Noel is the author of The Change Your Life Challenge: A 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women. Her unique program has helped thousands of women "makeover" all aspects of their lives. Learn more at http://www.changeyourlifechallenge.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Guests on Sunday TV news shows (AP via Yahoo! News) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: Report: News not good for White Sox' Quentin (Sports Illustrated) NEW YORK (SI.com) -- White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin received some bad news from an MRI on his right forearm and wrist, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The injuries have kept Quentin, one of the AL's leading MVP candidates, out of the lineup since Monday. Green news harvest: stolen solar panels, love for small wind (CNET via Yahoo! News) A sampling of green-tech news with quick commentary. In TV news matchup, cable wins convention coverage (Los Angeles Times) Cable news networks logged record viewership during the two weeks of back-to-back convention coverage NFPs Fail to Cool Dollar Rally, Looks to Next Friday's US Retail Sales, Fannie/Freddie News (Forex Video) (Daily FX via Yahoo! Finance) US dollar holds strong despite disappointing NFPs, jump in unemployment rate to 6.1%. Forex traders look ahead to RBNZ rate decision, US retail sales, and news this weekend from the Treasury regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. News vet: Coverage ob-scene (Boston Herald) WBZ-TV is reeling from massive cuts and was the only Boston station that didn't send a reporter to the political conventions, but it has devoted over-the-top news coverage... Good News Club for children (North Lake Tahoe Bonanza) The non-denominational Bible Club ?Good News Club? for children from kindergarten through fifth grade meets every Friday for Bible stories, games, songs, snacks,and prizes! Sunday news shows (The Monterey County Herald) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: 6 a.m.: NBC's "Meet the Press" ? Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. 7 a.m.: "Fox News Sunday" ? Obama chief strategist David Axelrod and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. 8 a.m. Guests on Sunday TV news shows (Boston Globe) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: ABC's "This Week" -- Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram enter joint distribution deal (Dallas Morning News) The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram have reached a joint distribution agreement in an effort to reduce costs, the two newspapers said Friday. Site: news - Google News News Analysis A Difficult Road Awaits Panetta at the CIA - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for interior decorating Interior Decorators Challenge State Law On Job Title (Hartford Courant) Lynne Herrmann will help you pick a color for your living room walls, choose upholstery or recommend fabric for your draperies. You can find her in the phone book listed as an "interior decorator" or "designer of interiors" ? but never under the label "interior designer." Warm Weather Decorating in Cool Hues (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - When the weather turns warm, we open our windows to let in the light and fresh air. But there are other ways to update living spaces to reflect the best of the summer season. How to Integrate Personal Style into Your Kitchen and Bath (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - Most of us have developed a unique personal style and we know what fashions work for us. But when it comes to decorating or remodeling our homes, particularly our kitchens and bathrooms, style preferences can be harder to pin down. A student's dedication to interior design (University of Connecticut Daily Campus) Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to soak in the nuances and differences of other cultures - their food, their style, their arts and their way of life. And one of the frequently-unmentioned benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to experience the fact that outside of the United States, the residential college system is fairly uncommon, or at least of a far smaller scale. Interior Decorating Seals the Deal (New York Times) Just finding the perfect new home may no longer be enough; some buyers seem to want the house predecorated in the bargain. This odd house (Sewickley Herald) Interior designer Tom Weigel mixes imagination and personal style to create one-of-a-kind rooms. read more » Restoration after flooding (The Springfield News-Leader) Interior decorator Debra Moore spent two months preparing for her dream life. The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. (PRWeb Sep 10, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/totallyhome/080908/prweb1302084.htm The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. Browse News & Feature Stories (Metro Times Detroit) 134 stories found. Showing page 1 of 5. Site: interior decorating - Google News Interior decorator pursues her true passion - Telegraph-Journal
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