The New Year

The New Year is days away. What a better time to make a
lifestyle change. Being organized is something that will improve
your quality of life, not only in a physical sense but mentally. In
the coming weeks I will give you tips on how to become and “stay”
organized. The key is to be committed and to be willing to get rid
of things you don’t use or need anymore.

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The New Year is days away. What a better time to make a lifestyle change. Being organized is something that will improve your quality of life, not only in a physical sense but mentally.

In the coming weeks I will give you tips on how to become and “stay” organized. The key is to be committed and to be willing to get rid of things you don’t use or need anymore.

Going Green this Holiday Season!

 

The holidays are a time for giving, so why not give back to Mother Nature this year by going green? Going green doesn’t mean you have to give up turkey and Christmas trees, but you can find eco-friendly alternatives to many holiday essentials that may just save you some green.

Use Recyclable Gift Bags
If you want to keep your gifts a surprise and avoid the mountain-high pile of wrapping paper afterward, then opt for recyclable gift bags or a use the same bag every year. You can also wrap gifts in old newspapers, using the funnies section for kids. All in all, no one will really care what the outside of the gift looks like, just what’s inside.

Buy a Real Tree
Believe it or not, buying a real Christmas tree is more eco-friendly than buying an artificial one made with plastic, lead and other processed materials. It’s preferable that you buy one from a tree farm where only purchased trees get cut, and either replant the tree or recycle it (NOT throw it away) after the holidays are over.

Use LED Lights
LED lights offer a more eco-friendly and energy efficient option to regular lights, because they use only four watts per strand, whereas regular lights use about 34 watts per strand. LED lights can also last about 20 years or 100,000 hours, which means you won’t be buying new lights for a long time.

Limit Light Time
Christmas lights use a lot of energy and tend to stay on longer than necessary. Adjusting your use of Christmas lights to, say, dusk till bed time and turning them off during the day and when you’re not home will be much more efficient and save you money in the end. If you think you might forget, get a timer and let it do the clockwork.

Send Gift Cards
If you are sending gifts, opt for gift cards instead of big packages. You’ll save time, stress and money not driving around to find and send big gifts. Also, it takes less fossil fuels to send gift cards than transporting boxes that contain packing peanuts, plastic and other items that will usually end up in the trash.

Cook Organic Foods
Go green this holiday season by cooking with organic and locally-grown foods to support local farmers. You’ll feel better knowing you served your guests food that was free of pesticides and chemicals, and supported a more eco-friendly way of farming.

Send Ecards and Evites
This year, skip the paper cards and invitations and go with the instant electronic versions. Ecards and Evites are just as decorative and meaningful to receive and, best of all, no fossil fuels are used to send them.

Keep it Close
Celebrate the holidays at your place or close to home to save money on trip expenses and avoid using gasoline or burning fossil fuels to travel across the country. It’s safer and more convenient to celebrate at home, because holiday travel can be treacherous during the cold months when so many people are on the road.

Give Green Gifts
Green presents are the gifts that keep giving all year round. They can be as simple as battery chargers and rechargeable batteries and homemade toys, or as high-tech as E-readers. Consider the longevity of the product and how green it actually is.

Reuse Old Decorations
Holiday decorations are something you can repeat year after year, and they rarely need to be replaced. For example, ornaments are timeless, nostalgic pieces that deserve to be reused every holiday season. If you have the urge to get a new wreath or star for the top of the tree, be crafty and make your own.

Table Decorations!

Christmas is only 1 week away. Dining tables, buffet sideboards, sofa tables, coffee tables, entry consoles and end tables all provide surface space for creating interesting decorative tablescapes for the holidays.  No matter the size or shape of the space you have to work with, there are six tips for using design elements that will help you create an attractive tabletop display.

Tablescape Tips

Photo bhg.com

Photo bhg.com

1.  Pay Attention to Proportion– When selecting the elements to use in your tablescape make certain to vary the heights and sizes of the pieces.  Think tall and short – big and little.  Mix it up.

Photo bhg.com

2. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat –Use the main color of a scheme numerous times in the tablescape and in various items.  Also, select enough of a particular type of item so it is repeated numerous times in the tablescape, enough to really make a visual statement.

Photo bhg.com

Photo bhg.com

3.  Add Texture – Aim for a mix of textures: combine shiny and matte;  select soft and hard; use smooth and  rough.  Make it interesting.

Photo bhg.com

 

Photo bhg.com

 4. Consider Symmetry– Provide balance and formality to your tablescape by using symmetry.  Place matching trees or candles and holders near both ends of a tables.  Set a matching figure on each side of your centerpiece. 

Photo countryliving.com

5.  Use Odd Numbers– Although not a hard and fast rule, using an odd number of elements often makes arrangements more visually pleasing.  Also using heights and levels to display objects is appealing – three accessories in a triangular format of tall, medium and low is appealing.

Photo countryliving.com

 

6.  Mix Lines and Curves – Using a combination of line styles – vertical, horizontal, round, curved, diagonal- adds interest and dimension to decorating.

Share Your Tablescape Tips

What are some of your favorite tabletop decorating tips for the holidays?  Do you use tablecloths, runners, or placements?  What about greens and flowers?  How do you tie your decorations into the display?  What makes it easy – and with what do you struggle?  Share you ideas below! We’d love to hear from you!

Television as an Accessory!

Television is an undeniably big part of most people’s lives today – used for watching TV, obviously, but also for watching movies, playing video games and showing family photos.  Even so, viewers are divided about whether to show off their TV or hide it away when it’s not in use.  The good news is you’ve got lots of decorating options whether you want to see the TV in your room or not.

Put It Out There

There are lots of options for keeping your T.V. in plain view and including it in the decor of your space.  The room below incorporates the television into shelving units, storing equipment, tapes and DVDs out of sight in baskets.

Photo bhg.com

The television is displayed like a piece of art in this room.  Its shape mirrors the horizontal rectangles of the surrounding framed pieces and it fits in without calling attention to itself.

Photo southernliving.com

Placing the television over the fireplace combines two favorite focal points – plus, in conjunction with the lighted glass vases, the T.V.  becomes part of an art installment on the vertical corner wall.

Photo bhg.com

Doors on a built-in cabinet hide electronic equipment and accessories away while elevating the television for easy viewing and tying it into the line of the window.

Photo bhg.com

Hide It Away

If you prefer not to see the television when you’re not watching it, you can camouflage it in a variety of ways.  Below, a decorative screen folds back for easy viewing or lays flat so your guests admire its beauty without even knowing its hiding a T.V.

Photo southernliving.com

 There are countless free-standing cabinets available for television storage.  On this one sliding doors glide in front of the television when you want it out of sight and out of mind and the cabinet adds to the room’s decor by showcasing vases and books. 

Photo elledecor.com

 Floor to ceiling custom built-ins hide the T.V. while also showcasing art and books.

Photo bhg.com

 In this formal living room guests admire the gold framed mirror – but might be surprised when the T.V. inserted in the wall behind it is turned on and the picture shines through the special one way mirror. 

Photo southernliving.com

 

Do You Flash It or Stash It?

So which side of the television controversy are you on?  Is your television on display or is it out of sight when not in use?  How do you tie the T.V.  into your decor if it’s on display?  How do you hide it if it’s out of sight?  What’s your advice to others trying to decide what to do? Leave a comment below!

Estate Sale Shopping

Perfect  day for Estate Sale  shopping.   I found lots of beautiful home accessories.   Everything from milk glass to  gold plated candy dishes.    It’s the holidays and what  a great time to use vintage and unique serving dishes for your appetizers and holiday table settings.

Come visit the Humble Abode and shop for unique items for your home.

228 Avenida Del Mar…San Clemente

Christmas Trees

Photo midwestliving.com

1.  Selecting Your Tree:  Make certain the tree’s needles are shiny, green and fresh.  When you pull gently on a branch the needles should remain intact.  If they are dry or brown or fall off easily – pass on that tree.  I personally think trees with shorter needles (like the Fraser Fir shown above or the Noble Fir) tend to be easier to decorate because they have some space between the branches for showing off the decorations and they have strong stems so they hold heavy ornaments well.

Photo midewesternliving.com

2.  Decide Where to Place the Tree:  Obviously your room and your furniture arrangement will impact the location of the tree.  Keep in mind, however, that you don’t want to place a fresh tree near a heat source (fireplace, heat vent, radiator or big sunny window).  The heat will dry them out quickly and make them unsafe.  Place your tree out of the path of heavy traffic where it might be bumped or overturned by pets or guests.  Also, place the tree so you don’t have light cords across a traffic path.  If you’re placing it on a table make certain it is wide enough and stable enough to hold the tree in the event it is bumped.

Photo amazon.com

3.  Keep Your Tree Fresh and Green:  When you get your tree home, cut at least an inch off the stump and set it in a bucket of water immediately.  If you can leave the tree outside or in a garage overnight in a bucket of water it will “drink up” and any loose needles will drop before you take the tree into the house. When you take it indoors make sure your tree stand has a large water reservoir and keep it filled – make it a habit to check it at least twice a day for the first week.  It may slow down its water consumption after a few days – but don’t skip filling the reservoir.  The tree stand shown above holds 1.5 gallons of water.

4.  Secure Your Tree:  If you have kids or pets you will want to use a weighty, stable tree stand and you may want to also secure the tree to a wall, the ceiling or a stable piece of furniture so the tree can’t be knocked over.  Nylon fishing line can be tied to the tree in several places and then threaded through small eye-hooks installed in the wall, ceiling or the back of a piece of furniture.  Just make sure the lines are out of the reach of children and animals.

5.  Recycle Your Tree:  After the holidays remove the tree before it becomes too dry and a safety risk.  Some communities offer recycling pickups for Christmas trees and some offer services or tips for turning your tree to garden mulch.  Do NOT burn the tree in your home’s fireplace.  Evergreen burns too hot and is highly flammable when dry.

Tight on Space?

If you long for a fresh holiday tree but your space or budget is tight, you can enjoy the beauty of a fresh holiday tree – just think mini!

Photo midwestliving.com

Place a small rosemary plant in a decorative pot and hang small, lightweight ornaments on it.  After the holidays remove the decorations, change the pot and use the rosemary for cooking.

Photo midwestliving.com

Small ivy plants can be decked for the holidays.  Use them individually or in multiples for impact as shown above.

Tree-mendous Ideas

What type of fresh Christmas tree do you prefer?  Any tips to share for selecting or caring for a holiday tree?  Share any trial and error tales you may have.  I’ve heard tales of cats climbing Christmas trees and folks who’ve cut all the branches off the back side so the tree could be set tightly against the wall.  What about you?  Share your tree-mendous ideas and tips by using the Comment box below!

Thats So Vintage…

Using old tin or enamel buckets as plant pots…

Recycling jars to make into vases or candle holders…

or the little bit more experimental…

An old door of a wardrobe used as a bedroom mirror…

A headboard made from old shutters…

A set of old doors made into a folding screen…

When searching through my collection of books and the internet I have come across so many wonderful “unintended usage” ideas for vintage / country / garden weddings so when I came across a collection of small vintage trophies for sale I immediately thought how fun they would be for use as table decorations at one of these creative weddings…

I found numerous pretty inspirational photos to back up my idea…

Personalize Your Gift Wraps

Here are a few fun and creative ways to wrap your holiday gifts this year!

Photo from Martha Stewart.com

Martha Stewart has this easy package decor (you knew she’d have something cute) including template.

Photo from Good Housekeeping.com

Here’s a novel way to recycle burned out bulbs and have a creative package at the same time.

Photo from Coastal Living.com

Simple, elegant, creative.  You’ll have the prettiest packages under the tree. 

Photo from Midwest Living.com

Put your gift wrapping to good use and turn a little stack into an advent “calendar” or maybe use to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas.  Put a thoughtful “love note” in each box along with a chocolate kiss or home baked treat.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall…

Mirrors serve a myriad of purposes in a home:  in an entry so you can check your makeup or hair as you leave the house, full length on a closet door so you can check your outfit coordination, on a wall opposite a window with a view to multiply the beauty, in an unusual frame or shape to double as art and many more.  Although mirrors are sometimes used as a go-to solution for just about any decorating problem, choosing the right one might be a bit of a challenge.  Here are some favorites for style and function. Photo from BHG.com

In this formal dining room mirrors are used to reinforce the motif (squares) and provide a stronger architectural element on the walls.  I love that they are dark frames to contrast so strongly with the light walls and molding and that there are two instead of one large one – using two breaks up the molding rectangles and makes a more dynamic addition to the room.

 

Using a pair of 8′ tall mirrors in this very grand entry to enhance the ‘grandness’ factor and reflect the live plants in the urns.  Hung opposite each other, mirrors can create a room expanding impression because they each will double the space perception (which this room didn’t need, but it looked great anyway!).

Photo from Hershon Hartley Design, Marin showhouse.

This collection of mirrors appeals to my asymmetrical leanings.  I love that the finishes are similar but all different, the shapes are similar but different sizes and they are hung so attractively off center. This would be appropriate in a small entry or to create the feeling of an entry, in a narrow hallway to add interest, on an empty wall space just about anywhere.

 Mirrors in bathrooms are a requirement but nothing says they have to be boring and square, or worse yet a big sheet of mirror that spans the length of the vanity.  Shake things up with an unusual mirror that will up the WOW factor.

Photo from Elle Decor.com

These mirrors from CB2 really appeal to me.  Initially I liked the shape and the nod to a starburst mirror.  Then I read on to find they are made using recycled bicycle wheels and since my husband is a bicycler, I’m now really interested.  Combine the ‘green’ aspect, the reasonable price of $60 and the style factor and I think one of these could be a contender in the new home.

Photo bhg.com

I love the dramatic graphic look this oversized mirror provides in this space.  In addition to reflecting light from the window it reflects the primary colors in the room.  Leaning a very large mirror on the floor or mantel is a more casual approach and a popular way to display a mirror – just make sure it’s secure.

Photo potterybarn.com

I’ve always loved beveled mirrors and this mirror is comprised of 25 beveled mini-mirrors.  It is apparently being used in an outside room which is a great way to multiply the beauty of the outdoors.  Love it!

Photo bhg.com

Multiple mirrors double the fun and create a graphic statement in this living room as well as adding architectural interest in a plain room.

Photo potterybarn.com

The finish,the arch, the shutters and the shelf – what’s not to love about this unusual mirror?  It would be great in a vintage setting, a country home or even something more modern as the contrasting element.

Photo southernliving.com

T.V. in a mirror over the focal point of the room?  Fascinates me…as do T.V.s in a bathroom mirror.

I encourage you to think outside the box, change things up, don’t settle for the ordinary when it comes to your home.  Personalize it with a fabulous mirror in a new color, a unique shape or a creative placement