Intrique In Italy

"ROME (Reuters) - When in Capri, don't wander off the beach in a bikini. If you go to the sea in Eraclea, near Venice, remember that building sandcastles is forbidden. And don't even think about mowing your lawn on the weekend in Forte Dei Marmi.

Emboldened by a nationwide crackdown on crime and a government decree giving them extra law-and-order powers, Italian mayors have issued a string of often bizarre by-laws to enhance "public decorum."

Public displays of affection in a car can earn you a fine of up to 500 euros ($745) in Eboli, feeding pigeons is off-limits in the centre of Lucca while in Novara groups of more than two people are forbidden from lounging around in parks at night.

Italian newspapers have dubbed this year's holiday season "the summer of bans." But this week one town hall was forced to acknowledge things may have gone too far.

Rodrigo Piccoli, 33, called national radio to protest after he was fined 50 euros for lying down in a park in the northern city of Vicenza to read a book. The mayor has since promised to drop the ban."

Sardinia

Laura and Robert and the boys are off to Sardinia for a week. I hope they had a chance to glance at the news before they left. Considering the need for cracking down on crime in Italy I feel they're kinda barking up the wrong trees here. Pretty humorous, don't you think? How about making not picking up the garbage against the law? Or campfire girls on every corner? Or posting signs in public places that say, "Pick Pocketing For Life"? Truth is stranger than fiction as they say! Hey family....absolutely no sandcastle building while on the island...ya hear? And, Robert, no smoochin' on Laura in public, especially in the car! If you must make sure the coast is clear!

Ways to Save Money

Twelve Tips for Spending Less

from Simply Stated By RealSimple.com by Gretchen Rubin

"These are tough economic times, and lots of people are feeling the stress. If you’re trying to cut down on your spending, try following some of these strategies:

1. Pay cash. Studies show that people find it much easier to spend money when they’re using a cash substitute (they also find it easier to cheat or pilfer!). Keep yourself in touch with cost, by using cold hard cash.

2. Focus on small items first. When you buy an expensive item, it’s easy to toss in unthinkingly a lot of smaller items alongside it – items that you might have otherwise have spent a lot of time considering, and which add up to a lot of $$$. So pick out smaller items first, then the larger item. Buy the software, the mouse, the mousepad, and the other bits and bobs, then choose the computer.

3. Don’t buy too much at one time. If you’re buying too many things, you stop paying attention to what you’re getting. Any one item seems insignificant. I call this “shop shock” or “drive-by shopping.”

4. Don’t buy anything at a bargain store that you haven’t bought before at full price.

5. Before paying, review each of your purchases with a skeptical eye. Don’t buy anything you’re not sure you want and can use – this is particularly important with clothes. I often ask myself, “Do I feel like wearing this tomorrow?” Sometimes, I realize I’ve picked something out because I can “use” it – but really, if I don’t love something, I almost never end up wearing it, no matter how useful it might be.

6. Don’t tell yourself, “I can always return it”; remind yourself, “I can come back if I decide I need it.”

7. Make a list and stick to it.

8. Don’t buy anything that needs to be a specific size unless you KNOW the measurements you need.

9. Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Even for non-food items.

10. Don’t shop as an activity with friends. It’s easy to spend more than you intend, or to buy something you don’t really need or want, when you’re distracted by conversation. Find something else to do with your friends. Have lunch, go for a walk, run errands together (in high school, my friends and I used to do errands together all the time, and it’s a great way to turn a nagging task

into something fun).

11. Be very skeptical of anything that’s on sale.

12. If you don’t shop, you don’t buy. Stay out of stores."

I am not sure I agree with all of these like #2 and #10. If I don't pick out my computer first how do I know what else I need? Just be careful with the add-ons. Shopping with my shopping pals is the best. But I do like most of Gretchen's ideas.

Here are a few of my own tips:

I have been working on this lately in preparation~ for the big R word..Retirement. Now I know Jim will never really retire and that is great, we'll just call it "Jim's Rewirement."

1. Think of money in terms of accumulation not acquisition. This is hard in our material society but I have found it helps me when I want to buy something I don't really need. Online banking is great for watching your savings grow anytime you sign on .

2. Do comparison shopping. I am still boycotting Safeway and I know I am saving lots on food by going to Food Max. It is not my favorite environment but I am not there to enjoy the ambiance (this is rare for me). I would rather get a better price and forgo the storm symphony over the produce, the Starbucks, etc. I will admit that I do go to Whole Foods for the ambiance, but that is rare and I only buy a few things.

3. On discretionary purchases, walk around just holding the item or pushing it in your cart~revisit your decision before you get to the check out counter. I learned this one from my girls. Sometimes just knowing you can have it if you really want it ~ is enough. Many, in fact most purchases are emotionally based.

4. When clothes shopping ask, "How does this fit into my current wardrobe?" I am much more apt to buy it if it is compatible with something I already have. If I buy something more trendy...I don't spend a lot for it. I don't buy a lot of things that will last 10 years because I don't want to keep them that long! Not that I am any kind of a fashion person, but I do know that it is like decorating in many ways. It is not so much what you paid for it as how you put it together that makes an outfit work.

5. Be prudent and wise with your money. Save ~but don't hoard. Build security while also enjoying your $. In a nutshell~balance! Let your assets be an important part of your life, not your whole life. Use some of what you have to bless others. Being a tightwad is annoying and boorish, being generous whenever possible is a good thing.

6. Sometimes second hand things can be a great way to save and still enjoy what you are aching for! Shop garage sales, thrift shops, etc. Say yes to something someone else may be giving away if you think there is any way your can recycle it. This is how we got practically everything we owned when we were first married and we still have a lot of those things.

7. Stay Organized so you don't forget what you have and where it is. There is little more frustrating than knowing you have something you need, but not knowing where you put it.

8. Rarely Pay Full Price~Just about everything eventually goes on sale. Watch and wait! Then on the times you do pay full price you can remember all those times you didn't and feel better about it!

9. Coins add up whether you are saving or spending.

10. Credit scores matter. Pay your bills (not an option) and pay them on time. Avoid credit card debt like the plague it is. They say "nothing tastes as good as thin feels," well, nothing is more rewarding that actually owning what you surround yourself with either.

What can you share that has helped you
be wise
in saving and spending your loot?

Decluttering Our Lives

The only place clutter works~in the garden!

Remember when we thought that electronics would make our world of paper, a thing of the past? Wow, not so. When I got home last night I found two and a half weeks worth of mail, magazines, junk mail, bills, cards and letters, adverts, you name it. Jim was so sweet to stack it all up nicely for me and for that I am grateful...but Holy Cow! So much paper! I am a real stickler about keeping my desk fairly well cleaned off as I find it gets overwhelming if you don't. I also go into many homes where the paper takes up more room than the people. For me it is almost like brushing your teeth~you take care of it everyday for a few minutes or pay the price down the line.

I have so much to do to get ready for the staging on Friday but I really just couldn't declutter my mind to think straight until I took care of this paper mess. So I have slowly been chipping away at it while unpacking, etc. Some time ago I ran across a fun blog and today there is a great article in there about this very topic and upping our personal productivity so I am "importing" (nicer than blogjacking, huh?) it here.

This article is by Gretchen Rubin. You can find her here~
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/
Add her to your Reader, she has some great ideas.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: Nine helpful yet REALISTIC tips for boosting personal productivity

"I confess: I can’t touch each piece of paper just one time. I can’t return every email within 24 hours. I can’t maintain a clear desk at all times. I can’t go paperless. Nevertheless, I’ve found some realistic strategies for getting things done that have helped me a lot.

One thing I know about myself is that an accumulation of tiny tasks, even if they aren’t particularly irksome in themselves, combine to make me feel overwhelmed and drained. If I can keep little chores from piling up, I feel much more capable of tackling bigger, more difficult tasks.

For that reason, many of my most important daily personal productivity rules are very low-tech and simple – they’re aimed to help me accomplish the most basic tasks of my day.

1. Follow the “one-minute rule.” I don’t postpone any task that can be done in less than one minute. I put away my umbrella; I glance at a letter and toss it; I put the newspapers in the recycling bin; I close the cabinet door. Because the tasks are so quick, it isn’t too hard to make myself follow the rule, but it has big results.

2. Observe the “evening tidy-up.” I take ten minutes before bed to do simple tidying. Tidying up at night made our mornings more serene and pleasant, because I’m not running to and fro like a headless chicken; and it also helps me prepare me for sleep, because putting things in order is calming, and doing something physical makes me aware of being tired.

3. Do a daily errand, or a bi-weekly errand afternoon. I keep a list of things I need to do (get a prescription filled, buy a new toner cartridge, return library books), and each day, I do one of them. Doing one errand is manageable, and although it doesn’t sound like much, it adds up. My mother prefers to spend one afternoon every few weeks running errands—perhaps a more efficient strategy in a place like Kansas City, where she needs to do a lot of driving from place to place, in contrast to New York City, where I usually do my errands while I’m walking someplace. And while I’m running those errands, I…

4. Buy necessary supplies and keep them in order. Nothing annoys me more than spending time vainly searching for some obscure yet important office supply: a jumbo binder clip, an index card, a ruler, double-sided tape. I dislike running errands (therefore, tip #2), but having the right equipment, and keeping it organized enough so I can find what I want, makes a big difference to how much I can get accomplished in a day. Also my level of aggravation.

5. Ask yourself, “Why do I need this?” before you keep anything. I have a friend who filed the stubs from her gas bills for years. “Why do you keep those at all?” I asked, when she was complaining about how far behind she was with her personal paperwork. “My father always told me to keep that kind of thing,” she said. That’s not a good enough reason!

6. If there’s something you don’t want to do, prepare all the necessary preliminary steps the night before, and make yourself do it first thing in the morning. For example, I dislike making even the easiest phone calls, so I always steel myself to do those right away. (Check here if you need more tips for making yourself place phone calls you don’t want to make.)

7. Be diligent about “unsubscribing.” I need to be better at this. We all find our way onto email lists and newsletters of all sorts, and I often let weeks or months go by before taking five seconds to unsubscribe. But it’s worth it, to weed out clutter from your in-box.

8. Keep a daily scratch pad. You know those notes you write to yourself—phone numbers, URLs, the “call John Doe” reminders, the quick “don’t forget” notes…all those nagging loose ends that clutter the surface of a desk, and then vanish, get thrown away, or can’t be deciphered when you’re looking for them? Now I keep a scratch pad on my desk, and anytime I have the urge to make a note, I discipline myself to write it there. At the end of the day, I copy anything I need to keep (this is important!), then toss the paper.

9. Remember my Eighth Commandment and “Identify the problem.” This sounds so obvious, but it’s astonishingly helpful. For example, I like to work in coffee shops, and for years, and I mean years, I spent a lot of time running out of battery power and chasing around looking for someplace to plug in my laptop. Then I asked myself: “What’s the problem?” Answer: “I need more battery power.” Light dawned. I could buy an extra battery! I did, and it gave me a huge boost in productivity."

Movie With Your Popcorn?

"At a movie theater, a lot of the stuff you carry away from the concession counter is a horror show in its own right. Not that I blame you, of course. I've been there, too. Engrossed by the big screen, too many of us fall victim to giant soda cups, popcorn buckets, and candy boxes, which are sneakily designed to keep the munchfest moving swiftly for the duration of the film.

One Cornell study showed just how thoughtless it can be. Researchers gave patrons different-sized popcorn buckets, and those with large buckets ate nearly twice as much as those with medium buckets. And get this: In some of the buckets, researchers traded out the fresh-popped corn for two-week-old kernels! Those moviegoers munched away so absentmindedly that they put away 34 percent more stale popcorn than those with medium buckets of fresh corn!

So before you plunk down your hard-earned cash for The Incredible Hulk, consider how you may come to resemble him if you mess up a lot at the concession stand. Here's where the real danger lies:

Large Popcorn
1,283 calories
78 g fat (49 g saturated)
1,850 mg sodium




Yes, yes, it’s the custom; everyone at the theatre is eating popcorn. In fact, each American consumes more than 200 cups of popcorn a year, and it’s no surprise considering a movie theatre’s large bucket is 20 cups in itself! But snub the butter soak and you’ll save yourself from two-and-a-half day’s worth of saturated fat."

By David Zinczenko Men's Health

Holy Cow!

The 20 Worst Foods in America

The U.S. food industry has declared war on your waistline. Here's how to disarm its weapons of mass inflation

By: Matt Goulding

• 20. Worst Fast-Food Chicken Meal
• 19. Worst Drink
• 18. Worst Supermarket Meal
• 17. Worst "Healthy" Burger
• 16. Worst Mexican Entree
• 15. Worst Kids' Meal
• 14. Worst Sandwich
• 13. Worst Salad
• 12. Worst Burger
• 11. Worst Steak
• 10. Worst Breakfast
• 9. Worst Dessert
• 8. Worst Chinese Entree
• 7. Worst Chicken Entree
• 6. Worst Fish Entree
• 5. Worst Pizza
• 4. Worst Pasta
• 3. Worst Nachos
• 2. Worst Starter
• 1. The Worst Food in America

20. Worst Fast-Food Chicken Meal

Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald's (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce

830 calories
55g fat
(4.5g trans fat)
48 g carbs

The only thing "premium" about these strips is the caloric price you pay. Add a large fries and regular soda and this seemingly innocuous chicken meal tops out at 1,710 calories.

Change Your Chicken: 20 McNuggets have the same impact. Instead, choose Mickey D's six-piece offering with BBQ sauce and save yourself 530 calories.

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Gas Again!

6 Ways to Save Gas~

by Peter Valdez-Dapena

“1. Racing away from green lights~ When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine. Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.

2. Racing up to red lights~ When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later. There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too.

By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.

3. Confusing the highway with a speedway ~ Even if it doesn't involve hard acceleration, speeding wastes gas. The faster you go, the more air your vehicle has to push out of the way. It's like moving your hand through water. The faster you try to move your hand, the harder the water pushes back. In tests by Consumer Reports, driving at 75 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle.

4. Bumper-buzzing~Tailgating is a bad move for many reasons. First of all, it's unsafe. You reduce your ability to react if the car in front of you slows or stops. It also means you have to pay ultra-close attention to that car which reduces your ability to scan for other hazards ahead of you and to the sides. And tailgating wastes gas. Every time the driver ahead taps his brakes, you have to slow down even more than he did. (That's because you can't react immediately so you have to slow even more because you're slowing down later.) Then you accelerate again to get back up to speed and resume your bumper-buzzing routine.

Hang back and you'll be safer - plus you'll be able to drive more smoothly and use less fuel. A good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds of space between your car and the one ahead. You can figure that out by counting off two seconds after the car in front of you passes an obvious landmark like an overpass.

5. Driving standing still~You've probably heard that it takes more gas to restart a car than to let it run. Maybe that used to be true, but it isn't anymore. With modern fuel-injection engines, it takes very little extra gas to restart a car once it's warmed up. Idling, meanwhile, burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That's why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment. Now you don't want to shut your engine down for every little stop in your regular, non-hybrid car - it's not designed for that - but if you're waiting for someone to run in and out of a convenience store, turn off the engine. And don't go through the drive-through at fast food restaurants. You're already paying enough for the oil in those chicken nuggets. Bonus tip: Don't idle your engine to let it warm up before driving. It does your engine no good and it wastes gas. Instead, start driving right away, but drive gently until the engine is warm.

6. Short hops~ For really short trips, take advantage of the opportunity to get some exercise. Try walking to the store instead of driving. You can save gas and burn a few calories instead. If you can't hoof it, save up your errands. A lot of short hops that let the engine cool down at home between trips can use twice as much gas as starting the car once and making a big sweep to all your stops, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Go to your farthest destination first so your engine has a chance to reach its optimal operating temperature. Then make your other stops on the way back. With the engine warmed up, the car will restart easily and run efficiently all the way home.”

Apparently this is bugging me more than I realized so here are some tips that hopefully can help us all to feel less ripped off! What is the price difference you are seeing by filling up at Costco (or Sam's if you live in Utah??)

Who Knew?

I got this information in the mail from a friend and all I can say is,
"Who knew"~not me," I am embarrassed to say.

I had to go into the kitchen and check this out for myself.
Whoever looks at the end of your aluminum foil box?

"I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to remember.Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when you are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over. The darn roll always comes out at the wrong time.

Well, I would like to share this with you. Yesterday I went to throw out an empty Reynolds foil box and for some reason I turned it and looked at the end of the box. And written on the end it said, "Press here to lock end."

Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. How long has this little locking tab been there? I then looked at a generic brand of aluminum foil and it had one, too. I then looked at a box of Saran Wrap and it had one too! I can't count the number of times the Saran Wrap roll has jumped out when I was trying to cover something up.

I'm sharing this with my friends. If you already know this, I will feel dumber than I already do. If not, enjoy a new and freeing experience today!" Run right to the kitchen and see for yourself!

Did you know?

Happy Summer Feet

I thought this was some good and useful information for people who enjoy pain free walking, new summer sandal and the like. Blisters are so painful, I am a fan of anything that precludes them so will try some of these preventative measures.

Bye-Bye Blisters. Hello Happy Feet! from Simply Stated By RealSimple.com by Liz Krieger Whether you're working out or just walking around town, blisters can leave you hobbling. And after years of suffering through some of the most hideous, enormous, inconveniently-timed blisters, I've rounded up some of the things that really work wonders for me, no matter the season or the shoe. Thin, foot-specific sport socks, like the "Hera" from Asics. Designed for women, they have a little R and L on the feet, designating which foot to put them on. With special support in around the heel and the arch of the foot, they really do rub less. Less friction=fewer blisters *Band-Aid Blister Block or Dr. Scholls for Her Miracle Balm. Both look like tiny underarm deodorants, but they're for your feet. Lube up blister-prone spots before you even put on socks. *Foot Petals Strappy Strips are great with sandals, slingbacks, even thongs or flip-flops. Just put the strips under the straps to help prevent red marks and blisters. Dr. Scholls also makes good ones—and they come in a cool, tape-like dispenser. Here's a round-up of a bunch more blister-remedies, some of which I haven't yet been able to test. (They seem best-suited for serious outdoor activities—hiking, etc.)

No More Mosquitos!

Helps for enjoying the nice weather outside!

Most of these are either things we have all heard before or just common sense, but I found the one about colors of your clothing very interesting. #2 seems a little weird as who wears long pants and socks in the summer...but something here might be a help in warding off West Nile again this summer.

Five Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites

by Dr. Andrew Weil

"The best remedy for itchy mosquito bites is to prevent them in the first place. Use these tips to help stay bite-free this spring and summer:

1. Stay indoors at dusk when mosquitoes are out and about.
2. Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved tops, and tuck long pants into your socks.
3. Stay away from black and white fabrics, which seem to drive the little bugs wild.
4. Try mixtures of essential oils, such as pennyroyal oil and eucalyptus. These are moderately effective if you're not dealing with really thick swarms of mosquitoes.
5. In places like Alaska or Minnesota, where mosquitoes can be overwhelming, use insect repellants containing geraniol, a plant-derived compound, or Neem oil, from the Indian tree Azadirachta indica.

Jewelry Tip

I am a person who loves bracelets. Give me a bracelet and I am one happy woman. You can never be too thin, too rich, or have too many bracelets. Well, I am leading out in one of those areas, to be sure!

I was shopping around the other day and happened to be in Brighton...and I was telling the sales clerk how much I loved this one bracelet but that I really can't do the ones that have the clasps that require a gymnist or a second person to put them on. I told her Jim leaves at 5:00 am and I don't want to sleep in my bracelets or wear them in the shower, sooooo? That is when she gave me this fabulous tip.

Get a piece of scotch tape and tape the end with the loop to to your arm~ then hook the other side.~ remove the tape. OK then, this opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me. :-) Just thought you'd wanna know!


And here is my own tip for you. Store your elasticized bracelets or bangles or watches on a paint roller. Works perfectly and they are easy to find. I feel the need to go grab my camera.


This is great you can clean out your jewelry, remove the hair from your arms, blog and take photos all at the same time. How is that for multi-tasking~ as only we ladies can? And you cannot really eat, or spend money or waste time watching TV...so what's not to love?

Decorating Tips Interiors by Design

Bonnie's Decorating Ideas

An object by itself is only an object. Juxtapose it with something else and it becomes a composition

The space you leave empty is as important as the spaces you fill. Your eyes need resting places in a decorated space.

Minimalism is always at war with real life, especially in our culture.Scale and proportion are everything.

Contemporary doesn’t mean stark.

Use most of the space in a room~avoid lining your walls with furniture.

When hanging a mirror make sure it reflects something beautiful.

A mirror hung over your fireplace reflects only the ceiling when you are seated in the room.

Use your bedding or a beautiful painting or another object to determine your color palate.

Every room should have a focal point be it an architectural element or a work of art you determine or create yourself.

Use your vertical surfaces (walls) for storage with wall units, bookshelves, cabinets, etc. Avoid the thinking that everything needs to be stored or displayed on the floor space of your home.

Mantles do not need to be decorated symmetrically.

The more symmetrical the room the more formal the room.

The shinier the object the more formal it usually is.

Matching is not as important as blending in woods, fabrics, paints, patterns and textures.

When decorating it is important to consider the architectural features of the space and to be true to them. As an example, Southwestern décor in a Victorian home will probably not work well.

Use whimsy in your space to make it seem less stuffy. Make it fun and just add a little surprise to delight the eye.aveHave

Surround yourself with things that you love. If you don’t like something you have change it, renovate it, paint it, camouflage it, or sell it in your garage sale, or donate it to D.I.

Use the spaces in your home to suit your purposes and do not be restricted by what the builder envisioned you would do with each space.

Display your collections together rather than scattered throughout the house.

An array of family pictures looks best in one room, preferably a bedroom or hallway rather than a living room or family room.

Hang your pictures so that you do not have to tilt your head back to view them when seated. No matter how high the ceiling, pictures should be placed at a comfortable viewing level while sitting. The number one mistake is to hang them too high. The only place they can be hung higher (eye level when standing) is in a hallway.

All beautiful rooms lose something if they are unorganized and cluttered with toys, newspapers, coats, book bags, shoes, magazines, dishes, etc. Try to have a place for everything and a couple of times each day when you return items to that place. It takes no more effort to return something to its place when you are finished with it than it did to take it out. Train your family to think that way. Maintenance is a decision.

Keep the front door area of your home swept and clean. Sweep down the cobwebs, clean the light fixtures regularly and put some potted flowers and plants near the door to welcome your family and friends.

Use angles in decorating and make sure they align with other objects in the room
Bring greenery into your rooms and flowers to brighten and cheer you.

When you have completed a room and it feels like something is missing it is usually greenery.

Try thrift shopping and garage sales to find some unique, fun and one of a kind accessories at fabulous prices.

Engage all your senses in decorating, sight, sound, fragrance, touch. All of these affect the way you and others feel in a room.

Use your “good things” if not for your own family, then who? Lighting some candles, cutting fresh flowers from your garden, using cloth napkins…all these things enrich your everyday experiences and make them special. By small and simple things great memories are produced.

Don’t be afraid of color, it is a wonderful way to enhance a room inexpensively.

If you buy a paint you do not like after a few rolls on the wall, stop painting, let it dry and try to remedy the problem. If it is too dark, take it back and have them add white. Do not just keep going…have you seen some of the terrible exterior paint jobs in the neighborhoods around town? Yikes!

Paint will always appear darker on the wall than on the paint chip. Lighting and sheen also affect the color you end up with. The flatter the paint the more true to the chip it will be on you walls. Sheen reflects more of the surrounding colors the shinier the paint is. Even the exposure to North, South, East or West makes a difference. If you are unsure of your selection, use a poster board from an art supply store. Paint the board with the paint you want to use. Look at it at different times of the day and different places around the room to see how light changes and/or affects the paint in your space.

Use candles, accent lamps, etc. to create atmosphere and ambiance in your rooms. Harsh overhead lighting does very little to make a room appealing or welcoming. It should be used for task lighting more than anything else.

Practice cord management with your lamps, computers, etc. Hide them whenever possible. Many lamp cords can be tucked right under the carpet’s edge. Use zip ties or twists or rubber bands to bunch cords up and out of sight. If all else fails place a basket of magazines or something in front of them. You can also get a taller basket to hide all the cords, power strips, etc and place under your desk. It should be about the height of a milk crate to hide the cords from someone standing up and looking at the desk.

De-clutter your house as much as possible. It helps to give you peace, harmony, and rest in your home. Throw out junk mail daily and keep on top of your paperwork or it will take over your life! When fliers come home from church or school, jot down dates on your calendar and throw the paper away. Keep a folder handy for things that need to be returned to school

Every now and then take a good look at your refrigerator door. Remove old magnets, outdated photos, old wedding invitations, coupons, etc.

Check out websites for organization and cleaning tips & to organize your decorating projects, select and purchase wallpaper, art work, etc. Flylady.net is a favorite. Decoratetoday.com

Be creative in your home, it is a reflection of you and your family

Rotate your accessories. Do not have everything you own displayed at one time. Sometimes less is more. You will fall in love with them again when you take them out of storage at the change of seasons, etc.

The trend is toward larger accessories than we have been use to in past decades. If you do use groupings, use odd numbers of items for a more interesting look. Vary the height, shape, and texture of the items as well

Your home is the stage upon which you live your life. It is your opportunity to “create a world” for your family here and now.

Remember it is not what you have but where you put it that makes all the difference. The art of the placement of your furnishings is the key. It would be great to have a lot of money to create a fabulous home but it is not necessary. With a little imagination, research, and time your can make your home look great on a very small budget.

Your décor should be fluid rather than static. It should never really “be done!”

Good design is art and science. You can always tell when the science is right even if the art is not your preference.