How to Display Your Plate Collection

Several people collect plates and apply them as a decorative component in their homes. The custom of hanging ceramics arose in Europe. Plates of all kinds were used to dress walls, along a mantelpiece, around mirrors, and around the top of a wall under the crown molding. At least as far back as the Renaissance time, there were ceramic plates having holes in the backs for hanging. They were discovered in very ornate, formal homes as well as in simple country ones.
 
Today decorators often hang plates as they would a grouping of paintings. Even so, unlike framed art, hanging plates produce dimension. They can supply pattern on a wall where none exists. And, unlike wallpaper, plates are easily removed when you require a change.

Read more: How to Display Your Plate Collection

Ways to Display Photographs in Your Home

People enjoy seeing photographs shown in pretty frames and this is a rather inexpensive accessory. A grouping of different-size frames on an occasional table or on a mantelpiece over the fireplace readily personalizes a home.

Search for interesting frames for any size photo you've made. And lastly, if a photo of your family isn't precisely what you had in mind, consider framing a photograph that you buy at a local camera shop. There are hundreds to select from and they are super affordable. Pick a photograph of something that holds special meaning to your family....READ MORE>>>

DIY Painting: Faux Distressed Look

A faux distressed wall paint job can be a daunting task. It requires a lot of work so be warned. This isn't an easy or quick process, but the results keep on getting rave reviews and everyone would want to know how it was done. If you're willing to put in the time, you can make an interesting effect that would easily cost hundreds of dollars if you hire a pro to do it. The procedure is one of trial and error, yet very forgiving because you could correct the method as you go along. The trick is to attack this project with all out confidence. Don't waver when applying the paint, tissue, or varnish. Just smack it on arbitrarily and it will be a lot of fun.

Follow these steps for that great faux distressed effect.>>>READ MORE

Storage Tips for Laundry Room or Utility Room

Whether your room functions only for the purpose of  laundry hub, or it easily doubles and even triples as other purposes, your family requires easy access to it. In order to restrict the time you spend in this space you might need to reorganize your existing room or, if you're lucky, add on a new space that improve serving your needs. Most of us must contend with the space we have, but there are ways to create a laundry or utility room that truly works for the family.

Read more:   Organizing The Laundry or Utility Room 

 

Sorting Out Storage Issues in The Master's Bedroom

Organizing your master bedroom is worth an investment that would pay you back nightly as you turn in and every morning as you wake up to peace and order. The up-front investment of time to organize this crucial room, however, must also be seconded by a commitment to work on the deposited piles and keep things moving on to their right destination. Never allow surface and storage abuse to violate your sacred space!

Read more:  How to Organize Your Master's Bedroom 

 

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Tips on Organizing Your Papers

Paper and File Management Tips

Paper Storage and Filing System Ideas

In order to tame the paper pileup, these essential systems must be established to allow you to work on one thing at a time. Successful paper-management systems should include a means to process actionable paper, store projects, and access a tailor-made permanent filing system.

 

Processing Paper

The first system you must set up is a processing center to catch and queue entering paper for action. This is the single most significant system in any household or office. Actionable paper is paper that corresponds to something you need to do. It involves quick turnover items. Imagine your processing center as a runway: You land and take off on a runway; you don't park. The concept is to keep incoming paper moving via your processing center till you can file it or throw it out.

 

It is recommended to sort incoming paper not by what it is (like a medical or financial document) but rather what you need to do with it. If you're looking at a bill for medical service, ask yourself what you require to do with it. The answer, naturally, is that you need to pay it. So you'll need a tray called 'To Pay' in your processing system. When you are looking at your bank statement, ask what you need to do with it. You might need to reconcile it and then file it. If that's the case, you must put the bank statement in a tray that says To Reconcile, and after you have finished that task, you can then move it onto a tray that says 'To File.'

 

Your paper-based actions would be entirely unique to you. Some people have a neat filing system, so they file straightaway. Hence, they do not need a tray that says 'To File.' Others do a lot of phone calls and may need a tray that says 'To Call.' People who have many things to do might want to segregate a huge stack of items needing follow-up into To-Do A and To-Do B or Immediate and Action.

In general, trays work best for splitting up your action-oriented paper. For this reason, customized trays and drawers help people capture and take action on their paper. For example, make a To Do A, To Do B and Immediate Action trays to further sort your papers.

 

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Family Room Organizing Tips

Organizing a family room is more than merely finding a storage for things. It begins with knowing of the purpose and function of the room. Assess the activities, locate the storage needed, and find useful furniture. Now add all these considerations, the main function of the living room:  the lifestyle that defines the specifications and uses for the family room

If you are living the single life, the iPod, laptop may be your pride and joy. Download and store your music by artist or genre could be your favorite activity. Putting money into the adjustable lighting and furniture game could be on top of your list.

If you do not have any children romping about in your family room, you may have other needs and supplies in this room. If you entertain friends and parties in the space is assigned a lower priority in visual entertainment and a higher priority to the entertainment experience... READ MORE>>>



© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Strategic Ways to Organizing Your Kitchen

Many people shy away with just the thought of organizing a kitchen, thinking that it may really take so much time to properly organize the limited space.  We may think that there isn't enough time to tackle this project, yet we may not realize that we live daily with wasted time and effort which add up whenever we have to go around the mess in the kitchen. 

Let's take a look into the main concerns in organizing the kitchen and specific strategies in making this space most effective for your daily needs. 

Read more:  Kitchen Organizing Strategies

Creating Your Personal and Business Spaces At Home

If you believe you want separate spaces for personal and home business use, decide which activities would occur in each surroundings. This is not in reference to separate his and hers offices so each spouse could have sacred space; this is about creating two stand alone spaces each having a different use: one personal and one purely professional.

For instance, when you have a small desk space that meets the kitchen, you could fit it out using a laptop, files, supplies, calendar and a paper-processing center to make a household hub. At this hub you could pay bills, set appointments, organize schedules, and sort mail. The spare room or office may then be devoted as professional space for your business. If you have a huge home having extra rooms, you can pick out two different spaces and call one the home office and one the business. Alternatively, some bigger homes are constructed with two office spaces that may provide an ideal space for both private and business use.>>>READ MORE

Converting the Dining Area Into Another Room

How important is your dining room to your lifestyle?  Should you keep your dining room or convert it to another room instead? Here are some tips to help you decide.

One way to help you determine if you really need your dining room is to ask yourself how often you use it. When your answer is three times a year or less, are you certain you need to reserve a room for the exclusive purpose of formally entertaining guests? Can you entertain somewhere else on the rare occasion when you have multiple guests? Above all, if you are strapped for space in the remainder of your house, are you amenable to preserve your dining room but abandon the thought of having a room you'd use more often?

Read more: Should You Keep Your Dining Room?

Tips on Organizing Your Children's Toys

We all want our kids to have the best in life. We wish them to have a memorable childhood, and we frequently think that has to do with the quantity of stuff we give them. The point is this: Yes, we all had some toys and electronics growing up, but not as much that we couldn't enjoy the outdoors and the simple pleasures of life. Which would you rather have for your children?


Children who have way too much stuff appear to get over-stimulated and don't value their belongings as much as kids who have fewer toys and are required to care for them. If you or your family members have been providing an overload of toys for your children, you can do numerous things to backtrack. Naturally, any approach you take should be suitable to your children's age and temperament. 

How do we deal with too much toys in our house?>>> READ MORE

Choosing the Types of Shrubs to Plant in Your Garden

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 When choosing shrubs to plant in your garden, keep in mind that most shrubs are able to grow in both sun and shade in variable levels. Blossoming shrubs tend to require some sun for it to bloom; while other shrubs, like the Pierisjaponica, mature best in nearly constant shade. Make sure you consider the quantity of light available to the shrubs you're planning to plant. Will the sunlight be direct or is it strained through your neighbor's trees? Is it morning time sun or late afternoon sun? When there is no shade, would the plants be in bright sunlight for almost the whole day? All of these are conditions you should look at before choosing your shrub. Remember them when you go to the nursery.

Tips on Buying Shrubs
You'll be able to buy shrubs via catalogs, from local garden centers or from specialized nurseries. A lot of garden centers nowadays have plants that are raised elsewhere, but some nurseries do grow their own stock to distribute. If you could find a local nursery that raises its own shrubs, you can be reassured the plant will be sturdy in your area.

If you are purchasing at a local nursery, you can see unique plants and select a specific one for the features you want. The plants are also likely to be larger than those you'd get from a mail-order catalog. But you don't wish to choose a shrub that's a bit large. They will probably be more expensive than the smaller ones and might not transplant well when you bring them home.

Nursery owners urge that you get young plants at approximately half the size of what they'll be at adulthood. That entails if you are purchasing a plant that would grow to be 6 feet tall, buy one that is almost 3 feet tall now. The plant you buy must look healthy — no brownish discoloration in the leaves, zero dead stems. Plants must look as though they are substantially watered. Don't purchase one that's wilted or really dry looking. It may not make it.

The people running the nursery can help you decide on the best stock. Search shrubs that contain a number of stems that grow out from the central stem. Search for dense, bushy plants that contain a number of buds on the branches. Inquire if your nursery will warrant the plant. Some will and give a year’s warranty after purchase.

You could order shrubs by mail when you want a strange variety. It's best to order from a reputable nursery source that specializes in strange shrubs. See how the plant is sent out and tell them when you want it delivered to your area. A lot of reputable nurseries will guarantee what they sell and are willing to reimburse you when the plant is damaged during transport.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight