I (unintentionally) took the last couple of months off.  Not off work, just haven’t written on the blog or sent out a newsletter.  It’s been a time of transition in my family.  My mother-in-law sold her house (very quickly) and moved into an apartment.  Down sizing is a HUGE transition and it affects the whole family.  I will be talking more about helping parents sell and move in the coming weeks.  There are steps that you can take to make it easier and smoother.  We will all be in this position someday.  Might as well be prepared.

The other major event at our house is Patrick finishing high school and moving on to the adult world.  He really wants a job in the community and to live in his own apartment someday.  Before those things happen, he is continuing to learn the restaurant business at Easter Seals Southeastern Wisconsin.  Pat had been going there a few days a week while in school.  The biggest change  is now I have to get up early to drop him off at the bus stop and pick him up 5 days a week.  We’re both adjusting to your new schedules.  (At least it gets me to the gym very early every day).

Zach started college this summer and will continue in the fall.  (Another transition.)  Your kids grow up and your parents get older.  (Funny, but I think I’m still 28!).

I am taking on some new business ventures this fall and will introduce them to you soon.

The most exciting news is my buying trip to London and Paris in September.  I cannot wait.  I hope to connect with local interior designers.  Since I won’t have access to the Internet while I am gone, I will keep a journal and take lots of pictures and give you all the details when I return.  I have been brushing up on  my French with lessons since last fall.  Je parle francais un peu.

Soon we will all be in the fall/back-to-school transition mode.  Then the holidays will be upon us, then the new year…

Isn’t life interesting and tons of fun?  Mine is, I sure hope yours is too!

1)  If a sale is in the near future, fresh paint is the easiest and cheapest way to update the house.  I’m an advocate of color, but a potential buyer won’t be able to get past bold turquoise or burgundy walls.

2)  Arranging furniture is difficult for most people and impossible for the seller.  The biggest and hardest thing the seller has to do is downsize.  Grandma’s antique chair (or hutch or table or whatever) may be a beloved favorite, but if it’s taking up space, send it to storage.


3)  The buyer’s first impression should be “wow, look at how big this room is!”  That will be achieved when the clutter and excess is gone.


4)  The furniture should be arranged toward a focal point.  That could be the fireplace if there is one.  Otherwise, the view or a beautiful piece of artwork or even the TV.


5)  A furniture plan should allow for easy mobility and separate the seating area from the walk path or the front door.


6)  If the home has an open plan, there should be some distinction between the areas.  The dining room should be separate from the living space.


7)  Cleanliness and neatness should be the first item on the to-do list for the seller.  Potential buyers can overlook paint and carpeting, but will run for exit if the first thing they see is dirt and disorganization and chaos!

8)  Of course curb appeal can kill a sale before the potential buyer gets in the door.  A well maintained yard is a must.  Make sure there isn’t any peeling paint or shutters or gutters in disrepair.

Miss Muffet would be jealous of this fabulous chair!

I have had this great little bistro style chair hanging in my shed since last fall.  I should say my husband’s shed.  I get the house and he gets the shed.  He doesn’t touch my “stuff” and I don’t mess with anything in his 4500 square foot garage.  It’s the perfect trade off!  I do all the interior design at inside and he does all the outside work!   I do, however, store a few items in there once in a while.

A cut little bistro style chair in it's original yellow paint and vinyl seat

This chair for instance.  It was a great find for $9.99 at Goodwill.  I wanted to do something very girly in hot pink, so my 7 year old niece Kayla became the inspiration and recipient.  I knew it would be perfect for a child’s bedroom.

The glitter really sold me on this tulle!

I was very excited when I found this glittered fuchsia tulle and a floral fabric and embroidered trim to go with it.

Green paint really updates the look of the chair

A little sand paper to rough up the finish and a can of neon green spray paint updated the chair from the 1970’s.

The old seat batting was in good shape.

The black and white vinyl seat was stapled on and easy to remove.  Then I cut a piece of the fabric 2” wider than the seat and attached it with a staple gun.

A staple gun is the handiest tool when covering chair seats

I gathered a double layer of tulle by hand and stapled it to the seat making the gathers even all the way around.

Never cut off the excess fabric until you are satisfied with the fullness.

Instead of cutting off the excess netting, I folded it up for extra fullness and sewed it in place.  You could glue the trim to the fabric, but hand stitching is neater (no mess) and you have greater control.

The floral trim is the finishing touch

Miss Muffet would have loved this chair

I happened to find the lime green pom-poms in my stash that were a perfect match.  It turned out so cute and just right for a girly little seven year old.

A chair fit for a little princess (or even a Queen)

Adding  style and design to any room can be as simple as a trip to a resale shop and fabric store.  Go ahead, brighten your home with color!

Once you’ve answered the Why, Where, When, What, and Who questions, you can get to the details.   Use this check list so you don’t forget  anything.  If a section doesn’t apply to your event, cross it off!

Theme

• Having one makes the planning easier
• Choose a color scheme

Invitations

• Formal, professionally printed invitations
• Buy ready made invitations where you fill in the blanks
• Make your own
• Send invitations by e-mail
• Invite by phone

Menu

• Will it be catered
• Make everything yourself
• Pot luck

Food and Drinks

• How many courses
• Gather your recipes
• Shopping
• What can be made ahead of time
• Who will serve
• Guests help themselves
• Hire waiters, bar-tenders
• Hosts serve guests

The Table

• Tables and chairs
• Dishes, glassware, flatware, etc
• Tablecloth and napkins
• Will you use real dishes/napkins or disposable
• Sit down meal:
• Plan a seating chart
• Place card holders
• Informal or buffet
• Where will guests sit

Centerpiece

• Flowers
• Order an arrangement
• Flowers from the garden
• Candles
• Other ideas

Entertainment

• Music
• Live or recorded
• Games
• Party favors or gifts

Timing

• What time will guests arrive
• What time will food be served
• If party has a specific purpose:
• What time will the guest of honor open gifts
• When will speeches or toasts be made
• If it’s a surprise:
• What time will the guest of honor arrive
• What time will everyone leave

Clean-Up

• decide on a theme
• make a list of what needs to be done
• give yourself enough time to get everything finished

The invitation sets the tone for the any party.  If you choose to have a formal, engraved announcement, your guests will know what to expect (and how to dress).  If you send out something fun and flirty, they will look forward to a different atmosphere.

Bridal showers should fun, festive and personal.  After all, you’re celebrating a big event for a friend or relative.  Since  initials are the theme, I’m using the first letter of the bride’s name.

I created three  invitations; all of them very easy. You just need a computer and printer.  The third one involves some cutting and pasting and a bit of glue.  Get some friends together to help.  The more the merrier!

Make your own invitations to coordinate with the party theme

You can buy blank stationary or purchase card stock in your color theme and make your own.  Be sure to buy envelopes first so the cards will fit.  Also pay attention to size and weight.  Check with the post office before you begin.  A square envelope requires extra postage.  If it’s too thick, you will pay more too.

The bride's initial in a great font is simple and elegant

Choose a font that reflects your theme or style, enlarge it and print the first initial of the bride-to-be.  S for Sarah.

Go green! The invitation becomes a bookmark!

If you want to go the “green” route, make the invitation useful.  Print the info vertically and it becomes a bookmark. You should be able to get 2 or 3 per page and it will fit in a business size envelope.

Gather colored paper or paint chips and cut-outs of the initial you are using.

If you are more artistic, forget the basic stationary and try shipping tags.
The info goes on the back.  The front is where you can get creative.  Look for decorative papers in the scrapbook section at the local craft store.  Tissue paper works too.  Use the same color you will use in your table decorations.

This invite takes a bit more time and some creative energy!

I recycled old paint chips.  Then printed the “S” on white paper, cut it out and glued it all together.  Use your imagination.  It will be a little work of art.   No one will toss this in the landfill!

All the vital information is on the back. This style becomes a keeper too!

You could send invitations by e-mail, but getting them the old fashion way is such a treat these days.  You can even design your own stamps!

Tis the season for wedding showers.  Although it is all about the bride, if you are hosting the party, you want to welcome your guests to a fun, friendly and beautiful atmosphere.

The best advice for planning any party, big or small is to plan a theme and choose a color scheme.  This is especially a good idea with a shower.  Just like any interior decorating project, a theme and color idea will keep you focused and simplify the process.

If you don’t want to do the same-old/same-old bridal thing, you gotta think outside the box.

For something truly different, choose an “Initial” theme.  Although you can find lots of things with letters, vintage hankies are unique.  Up until the last few decades, women used to carry handkerchiefs with them at all times.  Now that we don’t do that anymore, you can find tons of hankies at antique shops and flea markets. Ask your grandmother for hers!

Handkerchiefs come in all sizes, colors and initials

The best thing with hankies is they become the party favor and place setting all rolled into one!

Once the guest list is set, you will know which letters to look for.  What you can’t find, you can embroider on an old plain one.  If you or your friends don’t sew, look for an iron-on letters at the craft store.

They can be found in every color and style

If the hankies are big enough and in good condition, use them as the napkin.

If the hankies are big enough, they can stand alone as napkins

Chances are they won’t be, so pair them up with regular napkins.  Use a napkin ring or ribbon.

If the hankies are too small or fragile, fold them up with regular napkins

Use a simple napkin ring or ribbon to hold the two together

White hankies can be paired with your color theme

Or wrap them around a pair of candles…

Candles are great party favors

Or soap!  Two party favors in one!  Be sure to use unscented soap so it doesn’t compete or over power your lunch!

Initial hankies make personal party favors

Tuck in a silk flower for added color

Have your guests find their place at the table, by looking for their initial.  Sort of a grown-up musical chairs (except everyone gets a seat)!

Next time,  invitations!

Write names on your decorated eggs to use as place settings at dinner!

Tip 5
Display your decorated eggs in egg cups and use as place cards at dinner.

Pink and grey are perfect for an Easter meal.

An easy way to introduce retro into your home decorating is at the dinner table.  Unpack grandma’s good china and use it every day.  Sets of dishes from the 50s and 60s can be found for a song at flea markets, resale stores and antique shops.  Make an investment before the market realizes their popularity and their value sky rockets.

Check out the little handle on this bowl. It's a perfect dish for kids.

Speaking of bargains, I love this set of pink and grey dishes I found at Goodwill.  Although they are unmarked, the hand drawn lines are reminiscent of a few decades past.  The best part of collecting dishes, it doesn’t matter if they coordinate with your interior design, dishes do not have to match anything!

The touch of grey keeps the place setting from being too feminine.

What could be more perfect for an Easter luncheon?  The square salad plate offers a nice contrast to the round dishes.  Even if I don’t serve a meal with multiple courses, I still use lots of dishes just to make the setting more interesting.  If you aren’t having a salad, save the plate for dessert.

The most interesting tables have layers and contrast. The square salad plate gives an edginess to all the curves.

If your dining room table has a beautiful finish, no need to cover it up with a table cloth.  These pink linen napkins are big enough to serve as place mats and offer a nice contrast.

The napkins almost looks like bunny ears!

There are dozens of ways to fold napkins.   Tucking a grey cotton napkin into a frosted polka dot glass keeps the table from being too serious.

Instead of the usual Easter basket, serve candy in old-fashion apothecary jars.

Have fun with your centerpiece.  Instead of flowers, fill apothecary jars with jelly beans, chocolate eggs and Easter grass.

Plastic Easter eggs can hold love sentiments, notes of thanks or even gift cards.

Hide little surprises in the plastic eggs for your family to discover while you’re dining.

Celebrate the season the old-fashion way with Retro dishes.

Celebrate the season!