November 1999

New Stuff:

1. Project - Make a Holiday Wreath
2. Featured Article - Rooms To Grow On 
3. Featured Article - I'm Dreaming of a ... 
4. New Pro Tricks
5. Two new Best of the Web categories and 18 new sites

Hi Everyone!!

How is everybody doing?  I hope you are enjoying your fall and looking forward to the holidays.  Even though it's such a busy time for everyone, it. s filled with joy and so many memory making days you will cherish a lifetime.  This month I'm going to share with you a special time I had with my daughter, which is now is a happy holiday memory.  I'll show you what we made step by step and how we did it. We had a terrific time making it together!

I'm planning on starting another project with my daughter in-law and I'll be sharing it with you next month.  However, the best part is the special time and memories the project will create.  The day my daughter in-law and I bought the item we are going to fix up, is the first of many enjoyable times together related to this project.  I can't wait to get started on this one!! 

We finally got a little fall weather in Florida last week.  The humidity and temperatures dropped enough to turn off the air conditioning (although as I write this newsletter, we are discussing turning it back on).  Halloween is this weekend.  I hope it's a pretty fall night for the kids.  People all over our town bring their children to our neighborhood for the traditional trick or treat.  I didn't know until this last year when we experienced our first Halloween at home in several years because we were usually traveling to our son's football games. I found this out rather quickly last year as I speedily ran out of candy.  I'm going to try to be better prepared this year and have lots of candy, if I can keep my husband out of it! 

If you want to see the Holiday Wreath, Jennifer and I made together with step by step directions click here.

I hope you all have a wonderful November and a memorable Thanksgiving!

Now for some decorating tips and ideas:

Our personal treasures and belongings are usually our favorite decorating accessories.  We all have a collection of items (either on purpose or by accident) that can make fabulous decorations.  The key to displaying these items is to group them together for importance and find a unifying factor- perhaps a color, shape or style that makes the items look like a collection, not just a lot of unrelated things. Usually a gift, heirloom, souvenir, etc. is the beginning of a collection and can provide the inspiration and joy of many future shopping trips. 

Items you may have around the house can be the start to a great collection, as well as a wonderful decorating asset. 

Here are some ideas: 

1. Fishing lures (Can be a wonderful display in a sportsman theme room.)

2. Salt and Pepper shakers (Gather up all you have, add a few and before you know it, you will have a darling display for your kitchen or breakfast nook.) 

3. Trophies (Group several together in staggered heights.  Use on shelves, dressers, mantels, vaulted ledges etc. so you can enjoy the fruits of your families successes.)

4. Buttons or marbles (Fill a large glass jar and show them off anywhere.) 

5. Crystal and Silver (Pull out the crystal and silver from the china cabinet, cluster it together and use it to add sizzle and glitz to any room.) 

6. Seashells (Fill a jar, lamp base, crystal bowl etc. for a natural oceanic theme room or special spot where you want to remember the special memory of gathering them.) 

7. Hats (Children. s hats look great added to a wall grouping or create a special grouping all it. s own.) 

8. Plates or tea cups (Hang them in wall groupings, table tops, or special display cabinets.) 

9. Garden elements (Group several together to accessorize a garden theme room.) 

10. Family pictures (Get them out of boxes, put in frames and place on tabletops, mantels, bookshelves, dressers, etc. for a personal touch.) 

Our bathrooms are space in the home where there is not often room for actual furniture or items that establish a style or decor.  As a result, color and accessories are the key decorating elements that give the room the personality and look you want.  You may desire to make the room look larger, warmer, softer, romantic, charming, fun etc.  Your imagination and the proper use of color and accessories will help you do this affectively.

Here are some ideas to explain:

1. Victorian - This style bath is typically dressed with rich deep colors - fancy embellishments (ornate picture frames and doo-dads) - decorative ceramic knobs and handles - an old washstand (if there is room) with an old fashioned water pitcher and basin - big old fashioned cross-head faucet handles, beautiful luxurious towels and a perfect place for that collection of crystal/silver/china. 

2. Beach House Casual - This style bath looks great with light blues, aquas, and seafoam greens mixed with plenty of white - white-painted or bleached wood paneling is a nice backdrop - shell soap dishes and other seaside style accessories (perfect place for your shell collection) - plain white curtains or simple checks and stripes in coordinating colors - accent towels could be white, blues, or seashell colors. You could display that beautiful picture of the sunset you took. You already have it.  Just have a larger copy made and frame for a perfect touch. 

3. Contemporary and Jazzy - Bold colors - black and white tiled floors - walls in geometric patterns - chrome fixtures in high-tech styles - towels and accessories in bright colors to complement the black and white- greenery and art where needed for balance, scale and color. 

4. Cozy and Cottagey - Light woods - soft to mid-tone colors - floral patterned shower curtains - white washed wood accents - towels to match and pretty china and baskets to hold toiletries - yard sale finds repainted for a new use - floral arrangements and greenery. 

5. Fun and Funky - Great look for children's baths. Use bright colors or coordinate the colors with adjacent bedrooms - wallpaper or paint on the walls - paint techniques (including ragging, stenciling etc.) - youthful tub curtains - chrome simple fixtures - toothbrush holders in favorite subjects to complement the theme - fluffy soft bath mats - appropriate art to match the decor - baskets to contain bath time toys - a perfect place for that jar of button or marbles.  Pick a theme and go for it! 

6. Masculine - Dark polished wood cabinets- brass fixtures - traditional striped wallpaper or painted walls in rich colors - towel and tiles to match - brass accessories in classic masculine styles - possibly the framed display of fishing lures - greenery 

7. Elegant and Pretty - All colors are perfect patterned wallpaper faux painted walls- classic style tub curtain- plush towels to complement colors - classic artwork and pretty frames if needed - stenciled wall designs - coordinated accessories and florals using some of your favorite things (crystal bowl with potpourri, garden elements, family pictures, angel collection etc.) 

I trust these suggestions and ideas will inspire you to find those special items around your house and use them to decorate with.  You can see that many different looks and bath styles are the perfect location for some of those favorite things. 

Have a wonderful month!!!

HAPPY DECORATING!

PS - I couldn't stand it!!  We turned the air conditioning back on.  My friends in Canada ought to get a kick out of that! Jamie 

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