Inspiration Pieces

This art work and these accessories are things I am using as inspiration to renovate our laundry room. The painting is nearly completed and tomorrow the new counter top is going in. Next week we will get our new windows and door and then we will be finishing the adjoining bath. We have new louver doors to enclose our pantry and need to paint our cabinets with a fresh coat of high gloss white and add the new hardware and then the room will be finished. We have lived in our house for 30 years and it is so much fun to see these changes coming around again. Next comes the entry way and then the kitchen and then the bathroom. It is going to be a crazy but productive year. What project are you working on to improve your living spaces?

Picture Hanging Tips

Excellent!

Hang your wall art so that you do not have to tilt your head back to view it when seated. No matter how high the ceiling, the 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 should be hung higher is in the hallway because you walk through it. And the rule is no stair stepping pictures except on the stairs. Hanging two pictures horizontally or vertically is much better. If you are hanging pictures in a vertical arrangement put the heaviest or darkest picture on the bottom.

Passionate About Houses

One of my favorites!

Houses really warm my heart and make me happy. I think they say so much about the people that live inside. I love big ones and little ones, the old and the new, the modest and the extravagant! I think just about any home can be beautiful with a little tender loving care and some creativity. It makes me sad to see wonderful houses neglected or abused. Homes are like fingerprints, no two are alike and each one identifies a very unique place on the planet. A house that is loved is a happy place to live and grow and be. If I could tour homes every single day it would probably not be enough to make me tire of it. My heart always skips a little beat when I get the opportunity to step over the threshold of a beautiful home.

What I love equally as much is the everything that goes inside a house to make it a beautiful, interesting and comfortable family home. I enjoy looking at the books on the book shelves and learning so much about the family that lives there through their choices in books, movies, art work, music. I love seeing their collections, their color choices, the dishes they use, the accessories, the linens, the yard and gardens. I love to see the furniture and their style and how they put it all together. You can learn so much about a person from their home for it's truly a window to their soul.

I love to see a home that is in process. It is nice to see it evolve as the life's experiences contribute new things. To me a house is just as fluid as life itself. I enjoy watching a home be tranformed by remodeling, upgrading and updating. I love looking at a room or a home or its furnishings and wondering what memories it holds from days gone by and what its future holds. When looking at the yard and neighborhood I wonder about the happy times of children playing and making friends that last by sharing time and proximity to one another.

I love the way a home can feel when you walk in and it makes you feel welcome and invited in to visit. I am grateful for this passion I have about houses and for the opportunities I have to help people enjoy their own personal spaces more. For me this is just an extension of being a homemaker and nest builder and adding quality to every day of life. I love families and the potential I see in their homes to increase the enjoyment of living life together. Our homes are an extension of who we really are and so much more than a shelter from the elements. I believe with all my heart that the storms of life are much more manageable when we have a wonderful place to call home. And, it is not about things, it is about creating a wonderful, healthy environment for those we love the most in this life.

Elegance Rediscovered

When you think of a bride do you like to see beautiful, modest, elegance? I really do. The trend has been in the last decade or so to reveal more and more of the bride's skin while the marriage is taking place. Not everyone likes this, including many grooms, and most certainly not everyone looks good in very revealing gowns. Beautiful elegance has always had a place although often is hard to find anymore with the current trends in fashion design.

My dear friend, Faye Hunt, has created a solution after dealing with this when her three daughters married. She has designed some gorgeous gowns to fill the bill. If you or someone you know is looking for something classy and different and breathtaking, visit Alleanza Bridal for the details on how you can order a lovely, made to order bridal gown or all occasion dress of the highest quality today. If you like what you see, please spread the word. Alleanza Bridal will never let you down!

Let There Be Light

Nothing can add more to the cheerfulness of the day then letting in the light. We are all affected by light and it has a tendency to raise our spirits and make the whole day seem full of possibilities. Many people are affected by the lack of sunlight and it can cause a depression and sense of malaise. (SAD, Season Affective Disorder)


Often I will go into homes and everything is so dark and dreary. Heavy drapes that are always drawn are just not conducive to productivity and over all well-being. Even if you have privacy issues there are alternatives to all the darkness during daylight hours.


If you have the two inch blinds or shutters, rasie them all the way up as seen above or just rotate the slats to an angle that people can't see in, but you can see out and still get the light. Put something light and airy over the windows and have them be something you can pull back during the day to let the light filter in to your space. You can dress a window without covering it.

Rotate on an angle tilting them up rather than down. That way you can see out! When closing them use this same angle to close. Angling them up keeps your room warmer.

In our house with this southern exposure we need lots of light in our family room. Originally we had a window about a third of this size and adding in this window made all the difference in bringing the outside in and expanding our world to include the light and foliage of the back yard. We love looking out and watching the deer graze on the ivy!

It is a beautiful day~enjoy it to the fullest with sunlight all around you!

If You Love Beautiful Art......

Foxgloves

My cousin, William F. Reese, is a masterful and well-known artist who lives, paints and owns a gallery and teaches art classes in Washington State. After 13 years he has completed his new book. Included here is a sampling of his work. I hope you enjoy it and visit his website. With 78 full color plates this book is a real value. Here is an excerpt from the brochure I received (I have added in the art work for you to see.)

“The Painter’s Process” by William F. Reese, forward by Mary N. Balcomb. This book covers Reese’s philosophy and his own discussion of the process of painting. Reese explains his own approach to such subjects as color, composition, edges, and infinity as it relates to perspective among many other topics. Plus a Q and A section with subjects put forth by others.





8”x10” 157 pages 78 full color plates
Hardcover $80 SoftCover $60 plus state sales tax in
Washington and $5 shipping in USA
Blueraven Publishing 509 884 9246


www.williamfreese.com
wmfreese@charter.net

If you stop by Bill's website tell him his cousin sent you! Thanks and enjoy!

Guest Room Amenities

Photo by Audrey Hall

There are many ways to make your guest room special. Not only should the room be beautiful but adding elements to offer your guests the ultimate in comfort is essential. The guest room in your home is truly the place where little things mean a lot.

When guests come for a visit they are usually just happy to spend time with you and to have a warm bed to sleep in for the night. With a little thought and preparation you can turn an ordinary night into an extraordinary experience for them.

Your guest room should always have an alarm clock, extra blankets and pillows and a night light. Not only should it be sparkling clean but fresh flowers and anything you can add to increase their comfort is great. Crisp fresh linens, plush over-sized towels and fragrant soaps are always a welcoming luxury. How about having some current magazines and best sellers and a comfy throw on the bed for an afternoon rest. In your guest bath a basket with essential toiletries is great in case they have forgotten something.

I like to have some postcards of our area, some stamps and a nice pen for them on the writing table and a local map and guide book for their use. I also leave out our guest book so they can write a little memory of their time with us.

When we visit our daughter's home she always leaves some special treats for us like chocolate, nuts, some nice crackers or fruit and some bottled water. Some pretty glasses can be a nice touch too. All these things can turn a nice visit into an extraordinary experience. Remember what they say though..don't make it so wonderful that they never want to leave! But do make it an experience they will never forget!