Seasonal-izing your home

Ladies, it’s time to seasonal-ize your home. Just as you update your wardrobe for the seasons so must you make sure your home is current.

Out with the shorts and sandals, so out with the filmy breezy curtains and light linen pillows.

Don’t get yourself into a tizzy. There’s no need to spend all of your housekeeping money on a brand new look. It’s cheap and easy to change up the look of your home for the new season.

By adding just a few key accent pieces you’ll be feeling the coziness of Autumn in no time.

The easiest and cheapest way to update the look of a room is to change up the following pieces:




For just a little more investment you can also switch out your Curtains or add some Slipcovers to your furniture.

These items make a room. Don’t fret if “autumn” colors don’t go with your current décor. You don’t have to follow the season to the letter. You want an atmosphere not a cliché. Your house doesn’t need to be all pumpkins, branches and leaves.

Switch out your normal throw blanket with a warm cable knit or faux fur version. Use chenille or suede pillows. Choose a deeper shade of your currant curtain color. Add some spicy scented candles. Make an effort to use heavier warmer fabrics and tones. You’ll see the difference immediately.

If you're a little low on cash but big on craftiness why not knit yourself a lovely nubby throw or use some of that left over corduroy to fashion some pillow covers. That would add an even more personal touch to your home and save some pennies for a steak dinner!

Why not make a delicious cup of hot apple cider and mull over some ideas. I'd love to hear your suggestions and see some great photos of your Autumn Decor.

Happy Fall everyone!

Decorating Bug

I've been on the lookout for lots of great mid-century goodies for my redecorating project. I've noticed more and more furniture stores are offering their takes on mid-century. IKEA had some great dining table and couches but my heart really skipped a beat when I received an email from Urban Outfitters!

Gorgeous yes? Although I'd really like to get as many authentic pieces as I can, these give me hope. If for any reason I simply can't find a great storage piece I can always check out more modern retailers!

Do you Halloween?

I love Halloween and I love to decorate for it! I'm really excited this year because we have a house in a real neighborhood. I'm hoping to go all out with the decor this year. That brings us to this week's question: Do YOU decorate for Halloween?

The Prepared Pantry - Part 1

Here is the first of a three part series on creating a Prepared Pantry. First up, Setting up your pantry. Part 2 will focus on Pantry Essentials and Part 3 will be all about Keeping it stocked.

Whenever you are ready to create your Prepared Pantry start two lists – one will be for items from the grocery store you want to add to your pantry, the other will be for organizational and decorative (yes, decorative!) items you’ll need to make/buy.


Setting up your Pantry

The pantry. It can be a cabinet in your kitchen, some additional storage in a small kitchen, or a closet in a whole other room. Mine is a re-purposed linen closet in the hallway! No matter where it is it is the heart of the kitchen. Your pantry is essentially a miniature grocery store. It’s the place you go to when you need inspiration and where you go in desperation.

Your pantry should be set up as just that; a grocery store. Group like items to make everything easy to find in a pinch. Short on space? Have a savory shelf and a sweet shelf. If you have unlimited space then you can afford to be a little more detailed. Designate a lower shelf for all of your paper goods such as paper plates, towels and napkins. No matter what type of set up you have you can’t afford to be disorganized.



Organizing your Pantry

Definitely make use of all the low priced organization and storage mechanisms available. Be creative. A desktop letter/file sorter is a great way to sort those packaged gravies and mixes. Use clear boxes to store those items you don’t use frequently. Consider adding an over the door hanging shelf unit for even more storage. Asses the items you have in there now. Are they expired? Are you just never going to use them? Throw them out. You’ll need the room for things you WILL use. Treat yourself to some large clear canisters. Everything that comes in large space-hogging or ill shaped containers can go in these. It’s also a great way to see how low you are running on rice, sugar or flour.



Another great tip to steal from the grocery store is to rotate items. After your shopping trip be sure to move older items to the front before putting in your new finds. This will ensure that your never stuck with an expired can of soup just as you are making a last minute casserole!

It’s spring, and it’s a perfect time to pull everything out of that cabinet and start over. Trust me, your meal times will go much smoother with a well-stocked and well-organized pantry. It sounds like a little thing but it makes a HUGE difference.


Spicing up your Pantry

Lastly, make your pantry fun! Sound crazy? Think about it, you look in there every day, several times a day. Why not make it fun to look at? Paint the shelves different colors, use cheerful patterned shelf paper or wallpaper on the back wall of the cabinet. Buy packaging that you like the looks of. Organize using different colored boxes. Use your imagination. I've taken a shot of my pantry being decorated. Here I've just used some cute wrapping paper and double sided tape. That's it!



I’d love to see pictures of YOUR prepared pantry. :-)

xoxo
audrey