Since you’ve already decided to have company for Thanksgiving dinner, and we’ve set you up with some [...]]]> You don’t have to spend a lot of money when decorating for the holidays.  By adding a few special accessories to your public rooms you will transform your “winter is coming blahs” into a warm, welcoming, and festive Thanksgiving!

Since you’ve already decided to have company for Thanksgiving dinner, and we’ve set you up with some easy to make and inexpensive h’or doeurves, let’s pretty up the place and get everyone in the mood.  If you have a lovely dining room tablecloth, use it. Is it too plain?  No problem! Add a simple runner down the center of the table, in your favorite autumn colors.

You don’t need to invest in an expensive centerpiece, flower arrangement, or fancy candleholders. Nope!  Grab the kids, a couple of big bags, and go for a walk in the park, woods…anywhere you can find lots of trees and such. The kids will really enjoy this!

What are you looking for?  Anything that is colorful, interesting, and small enough to use as decorations for your house.  This will include interesting pebbles and rocks,  acorns, leaves, pine cones and branches,  wild grasses, and twigs. Unfortunately, wild flowers don’t hold up well when picked, so if you find some, wait till Thanksgiving Day to pick them.

Now to arrange them. If the kids made anything turkey-ish in school, make it part of your centerpiece!  A bowl of pine cones and acorns (or substitute nuts in the shell…then you have after dinner snacks covered, too) can have a candle set securely in the middle of it.  Scatter the colorful leaves down the center of your table . I personally prefer very low centerpieces…otherwise I am always squirming around trying to make eye contact with my guests.

If you don’t have the time or the inclination to do all that, how about  a bowl of fruit scattered with a few nuts?  Two small bowls on either side of the fruit can hold votive candles with a bit of potpourri . My favorite thing to do is to spend $4.oo for a few stems of button mums or mini carnations, and then pop them off their stems.  I take several small clear glass bowls, fill them halfway with water, put a small floating candle in the two for the table, and surround them with the flowers.  I then put the other bowls, with no candles in them, in each of my bathrooms.  For just a few bucks, you have added a wonderful fresh scent and a touch of fall color!  Instead of the fresh flowers, you can use a couple of spoons of potpourri.  It will float as well, and smell as good…but toss it when you are through with it, as it will get moldy.

A tall vase, or even a bucket, or a basket can hold pine boughts, wild grasses, and twigs.  Set them around your family room for a nice autumn feel and scent.  Pine boughs are also nice to lay along your mantle.  Be careful though…if you use the fireplace they will dry out quickly, so keep them from hanging down, do not place them on the hearth, and discard them when the needles begin to fall.

You will love how easy it will be to convert that look for Christmas once this holiday has passed.  And again I ask you to share any good ideas you might have…especially if they are easy and inexpensive.  The whole object here is to have fun and get in the spirit of things without going broke!

Times are bad.  We all know it.  It makes us dissatisfied with everything; our jobs, our homes, our families.  But sometimes all you need is a small change…something different…that won’t break the bank, but will still give you something to smile about when you return from your job…or from looking for one.

When we can’t afford [...]]]>  

Times are bad.  We all know it.  It makes us dissatisfied with everything; our jobs, our homes, our families.  But sometimes all you need is a small change…something different…that won’t break the bank, but will still give you something to smile about when you return from your job…or from looking for one.

When we can’t afford to go out a lot, our home becomes even more important.  It needs to be a place where we can feel content, comfortable and secure.  And what can help us do that better than a quick, inexpensive face-lift for our favorite rooms?

If you are walking into your family room and your eye sees only the stain in the carpet, or that damaged wall, stop right there.  Yes, it would cost too much to repaint the room or replace the carpeting (or whatever else is on your floor). Enter the world of area rugs. 

Area rugs can fix an awful lot of problems.  Place one over that stain and turn that area into a conversation grouping.  If it’s in the center of the room, use a larger one, leaving the older flooring as a border.  If you use the room for more than one use, visually divide it with two area rugs, giving you your office or media area on one side and your family gathering or conversation area on the other.

Area rugs make great wall hangings.  Not only do they cover damaged walls, but they also add warmth, absorb sound, and carry color themes up visually. If you are tired of that taupe sofa on that beige carpeting, why not add an area rug on the floor that brings in some vibrant earthtones, add a few throw pillows to the sofa in coordinating colors, and then add a wall-hung tapestry or area rug to that unsightly wall?

You have changed the whole look of the room, given yourself a new color scheme, and actually bought very little that was  new into your room. Area rugs are perfect in children’s rooms, in front of drippy areas like sinks, showers, and tubs, as hall runners, and for added warmth when you set your feet down on that cold floor when you get out of bed.

Area rugs can be very pricey, depending on what kind you buy.  Hand tufted, imported rugs from the middle east can be very expensive.  Cotton, chenille, and synthetic rugs are much cheaper.  However, there is a huge market for used and discontinued patterns.  Estate sales, flea markets, consignment shops, thrift stores, garage sales, and, of course the web…Craig’s List,  E bay, and countless other online sources all offer amazing prices that you will be able to afford.

So spice up that bedroom, bring new color and life to that family room, and love coming home again.