31 Days to Bless Your Home: Easy Tips for the Domestically Challenged
Week 1- The Sensual Home: Learning to Appeal to All Five Senses to Create Beauty in Your Home
Day 2 – Creating Visual Appeal
God made the heavens—
Royal splendor radiates from him,
A powerful beauty sets him apart. Psalms 96:5-6 MSG
Royal splendor radiates from him,
A powerful beauty sets him apart. Psalms 96:5-6 MSG
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| Fall Fun for my Kitchen Table |
This week’s challenge: Choose one new idea from each of the five senses to enhance the atmosphere of your home.
Today’s challenge: Display some fresh flowers in your home.
Welcome to Day 2’s challenge! Y’all come on over to my house for today’s tips. I’m so happy to have you as my guests!
As you can see, my home is not fancy, and many of you are probably better decorators than I am. My furniture is mostly second hand, and I am still in the process of collecting decorations for my home. However, when my husband, daughter, and Bible study sistas smile and tell me how homey my house feels, I know that I have found something that works. That is the most wonderful feeling to me!
I am going to show you some easy things I have learned to help you make the most of what you have. That is what it is all about! You don’t have to have an expensive showroom of a house to make it a home, but you can transform whatever you already have into something comfortable and beautiful.
Do not fret about your abilities or what you feel that you lack. Please do not compare your home to others. Rather, find what is meaningful to you and your family, and what expresses your own personality and taste. Who cares what is “in style.” Use what you like!
Here is an easy bulleted list of simple things you can do to create visual appeal in your home:
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| My dining room centerpiece for fall. OK, I know it’s silk, but my fresh ones are wilting! |
Start with flowers! A couple of weeks ago, my husband was working second shift and coming home at 12:30 AM. I went ahead to bed to read a book and struggled to stay awake while waiting for him. Soon, a bodiless hand reached through the door of my bedroom bearing a dozen gorgeous red roses. I was elated! As my husband walked through the door, you can imagine the welcome he got!
There is nothing like flowers to lift a person’s spirits! That is why today’s challenge is to display fresh flowers somewhere in your home. It is one of the simplest yet most beautiful touches we can add to our homes.
Don’t discount the value of good quality silk flowers either! Some are ultra realistic, and you won’t have to worry about them wilting! I have even seen some mix silk with real flowers to achieve a fuller, yet more practical display. Use what works for you!
(I finally just did today’s challenge! I was on my way to pick up some fresh flowers, and someone brought these to me from their garden. That made my day!)
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| My kitchen window |
Seasonal Splashes of Color: I love to add subtle color enhancement for each season or holiday. Right now, I have splashes of yellow, deep red, and orange strategically placed throughout my house. I have utilized very inexpensive items such as silk leaves and garland on clearance from a craft store.
Other easy ideas to add color and enhance the mood of a room are to add sofa pillows, accent rugs, throws, curtains, and lamps. These are inexpensive ways to change things up every so often and to break the monotony.
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| My fireplace mantle dressed up for fall |
Easy makeover ideas: If you long for a room makeover, the easiest and least expensive way to completely transform the look of a room is to paint. I know this is not necessarily profound, but take a trip to your local Lowes or Home Depot and check out their booklets of color pallets. They show you what works well together and take all the guess work out of it for you.
Lighting: One of my favorite ideas to create mood in my home is to change the lighting. This is very inexpensive and greatly affects one’s moods and emotions. Consider whether you enjoy cheerful, cool undertoned lighting, or cozy and peaceful warm lighting.
Even though bright lighting may be useful for parties, most of the time, no one really enjoys sitting under a spotlight. Soft lighting is usually more appropriate for intimate or relaxing settings. Choose lamps with varying wattages so you can adjust the brightness according to the occasion. If you can install a dimmer switch, that is even better!
Keep your blinds and curtains open during the day and allow the cheerful sunlight in. I have actually read of studies that prove that people experience happier moods when they allow direct daylight inside.
To create a more romantic or peaceful mood in your home, light a fire in the fireplace, light candles, use low wattage accent lamps, or hide soft light strings in house trees, plants, or the fireplace mantle. Just thinking about it makes me feel cozy!
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| Even my coffee table has fun dressing up for fall! See Lambchop hiding int he background? |
Table Settings: Try to break the habit of eating in front of the TV unless it is a casual night with a family movie or a ball game, for example. Put a beautiful arrangement on the table; use a pretty table cloth; light candles; and don’t be afraid to use your good china more often. Every meal time with our families is a special occasion! This is one way we can strengthen our family bond and create warm and pleasant memories of home for our children.
Décor/Artwork/Photos: I have heard it said, “There is no excuse to have a boring home.” However, for those of you like me, on a tight budget or insecure about choosing quality displays for our home, this is a challenge! My advice here is to scout yard sales, used furniture stores, auctions, etc. You can find some gorgeous things for very little money! It takes time and effort, but it is well worth it.
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| When you are a nana, you have to have something whimsical and fun! |
The Clutter Monster: Stay tuned for weeks 3 and 4 where we will learn mega tips for defeating that out-of-control clutter monster! For now, suffice it to say that clutter is our enemy. Simple, clean, and neat is the goal! When you make the effort to keep your home tidy, you are creating an atmosphere of peace, joy, and relaxation. A home that is clean, organized, and clutter-free is so much more comfortable; however, you must be careful not to fall into the perfectionism trap. Neat does not mean un-lived in. It’s OK to be real!
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| Y’all come back now; y’ hear? |
Help! I want to share with you my favorite two resources for managing and creating beauty in our homes.
The Fly Lady transformed my habits completely, and in turn, she changed my life! If you having a difficult time getting it under control, this is the best place to go! http://www.flylady.net/
My favorite designer is Moll Anderson. She has a classy and romantic style and such unique and beautiful ideas. I just love her! Check out her books, her blog, and her “Seductive Styles.” http://www.mollanderson.com/wired/#.UknAXHdWLd4
I know that is a lot, but as you can see, these ideas are easy, mostly inexpensive, and really make a difference. Don’t forget to put up some flowers today! Remember, keep it simple and inexpensive, and do the best you can with what you have. That is the key!
Come back tomorrow for my video, “Music: The Mood Maker.”
Thank you, and God bless you and your home!
Shari Lewis
