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November 28, 2014

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving.  For those of us who over-indulged in turkey, dressing, casseroles, and desserts, it might be time for a little exercise.  What better workout than re-doing the guest bedroom?!

Before                                          After


Bedrooms should be a retreat, not a punishment:
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Painting the paneling completely changed this room.


This guest room went from painfully plain:


to sophisticated chic:
bhg


From Bore-ing:

To interest-ing :

Before                                             After
I love the easy Mid-Century Modern flavor of this room.
The cat approves, too!

The new light color makes this room appear bigger.


It's easy for a guest room to become a large storage closet:
Before

After
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So colorful and organized now.




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How satisfying is it to have a clutter-free bedroom?  Very!


Subtle changes combined to give this room
the feel of an airy, beach retreat. 
Before

After
Woman's Day


A rather bland room was given a contemporary
look with a painted accent wall:
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Just painting the dresser gave this room a fresh country look:
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Here's another example of how much a renovated dresser can change a room:

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This is one of those transformations that is almost unbelievable:

After
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These next two ordinary bedrooms were treated
to the WOW factor with paint and molding:
Before

After
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Love, love, love the molding on the wall.




Home Talk


The only difference between the before and after photos of this bedroom
is that the mirror above the bed was removed and molding was applied:

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Here's an adorable idea for a guest room that features twin beds:
Before

After
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The off-set placement of the windows created
a decorating challenge in this small bedroom: 



Solution?   Camouflage the off-set windows:
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Tip:  A bed without a foot board makes a small room appear larger. 


It's such fun to transform a nursery into a Big Boy room:
Before

After
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From young boy:

To young man:
Home DIT


The young lady who lived here was
ready for a more mature bedroom:
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A dated guest room was in need of a more contemporary look:

It received one, didn't it?
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This is one of my all-time favorite bedroom transformations:
Before

After
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The large framed mirror adds light as well
as the appearance of spaciousness.


Hardwood floors gave this bedroom an entirely different look:
Before                                               During

After:
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Beautiful inspiration!

Have a lovely weekend.

November 27, 2014


May your blessing be many and your hopes renewed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 2014


Are you getting tired of my weekly posts on how to avoid Panic Shopping Syndrome?  

With Black Friday approaching I think we all need to bolster our resolve of restraint and review our shopping plan for the holidays.




Have you ever run across a bargain so wonderful that - even though you didn't have a need for it - you felt that you'd find someone who did need it?  Yeah, me, too.  And every time I've given in to the temptation I've ended up regretting it.




Nerd Wallet posted a very interesting warning before last year's Black Friday.  The article cited specific "deals" that were anything but:
Target advertised a KitchenAid Classic Plus Stand Mixer on sale for $199 (that was $30 off the regular price of $229.99.)  But just a couple of weeks earlier they had sold the same mixer for $183.99.  By waiting until Black Friday customers actually paid $16 more. 

Last year on Black Friday Macys offered a men's designer bomber jacket for a "doorbuster" price of only $79.  Strangely, the same jacket had been on sale months earlier for the exact same price.



We need to realize that Retailers have a plan to get our money:

o  Retail shopping studies found that most customers turn right or look right when they enter a store because over 90% of people are right-handed and right-oriented.  That's why many stores place expensive trendy items to the right of their entrances.

o  Loud uplifting music actually makes us spend more as do bright cheerful displays.

o  Clearance racks are usually placed toward the back of the store so that we'll walk past the more tempting newer merchandise first.



o  We'll often over-spend when we shop with a friend.  If you use the Buddy System when it comes to shopping make sure that buddy is not impulsive.

o  According to Lynn Switanowski-Barrett, a retail consultant with Creative Business Consulting Group, "People are more likely to impulse shop from a table."   Lesson:  avoid sales tables in the aisles.



 o  Impulse items can be a budget's downfall.  Why do you think retailers place small items around the cash register?  Any good sales clerk worth their salt will sweetly ask, "Have you got your stocking stuffers?"


And the No. 1 warning for Black Friday:
That same clerk might offer you an extra 15% off your entire purchase if you open a store credit card.  Don't do it!  Run!


Remember:  plan your shopping and shop your plan!

November 25, 2014


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Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday . . . .
Yikes! Thanksgiving is only two days away.

Hubby and I are working through our Thanksgiving dinner prep list and I completely forgot the centerpiece.

But it's not too late to pull out some Fall craft supplies and get to work on an interesting and inexpensive tablescape. 


The adorable menu pumpkin, right, was simply painted with chalk paint.  Clever, isn't it?






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Cut twigs and small tree branches were glue-gunned to a tin
can and filled with artificial flowers from a discount store.


Pheasant feathers, raw peanuts, and moss - what?!
Instead of buying feathers why not use a succulent plant instead?



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Use a Sharpie to write what you're thankful for on a pumpkin.


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An apple topiary is quite easy to assemble.  After deciding on the base, pick up a foam topiary form at a craft store, a bag of apples, and some greenery.  (Boxwood leaves work great.)



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Cored apples filled with votives are super simple and quite ingenious.



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Apples also make adorable place cards.


Squash + votive = genius!





Redbook
Kumquats, cranberries, walnuts, and a candle
were charmingly combined in a hurricane vase.





A basket, a glue gun, and hundreds of acorns.
I love it.




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Autumn leaves were modpodged to an inflated oblong balloon.
After drying, the balloon was popped and gently removed.



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Dried baby corn was simply tied around a short candle.






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So simple.  So elegant.  So going to make one!