Make Home Special with Valentine Decor

February 1, 2017February 1, 2017 RefreshHer4 Comments

Happy February! Seasonal decorations make home fun for our families. It communicates life, care and spontaneity. You don’t have to go crazy, but just little touches here and there make it special!

Here are some of my Valentine’s Day touches around the house…

The mantle in our bedroom…

I moved my chalkboard upstairs because I needed a tall picture to offset all the little things. I enjoy doodling on that board sooo much! And it’s good to remember that God does love us so much!

A simple banner is hung in the dining area. I have a fresh arrangement on the table, too. I love buying fresh flowers in the winter – it reminds me of the life of spring, just around the corner!

In the kitchen I just added a couple of my heart-shaped cookie cutters to the centerpiece on the island…

The living room…

I made a banner from scrapbooking paper and twine.

A little soft lighting for the bookcase…

These are all simple additions to add Valentine touches without overkill.

It’s fun to have seasonal decor – even if you just add a centerpiece on the kitchen table. It’s the little things that your family will appreciate and remember.

You could fill a mug with a heart on it with carnations.
Fill a mason jar with candy conversation hearts. Tie A ribbon around the neck of the jar.
Line up your red mugs on a shelf.
Use heart-shaped doilies as a banner. Use tiny clothespins to hang them on a piece of twine.
Spray paint small branches white and attach small pink and red hearts. Place the branch in a white basket or vase.
Set out your February magazines on the coffee table or add red covered books to your bookshelf.
My Scrabbble tiles on the coffee table are used as part of my decor, too. What message could you leave for your family?

Of course Pinterest has hundreds of great ideas for you to get inspiration from! The point is to just do something because everyone loves Valentine’s Day!

What do you do to decorate for Valentine’s Day?

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Dazzling Ideas for the Holidays

December 21, 2016December 20, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

Every now and again I get a good idea! I thought I would share three of those with you today that might help your holiday, too!

1. I keep two of those “under-bed-storage” boxes filled with my wrapping paper, ribbon, bows and tape. The other day while wrapping gifts on the floor, I realized that the top of one of those boxes would be the perfect place to lay the package and wrap it. I placed a fabric cutting guide on top to make it a flat surface, and it made it the perfect “table” for gift wrapping. So not only is this the place that is the central location for all of my materials, it is also the wrapping station!

2. I love the Wet and Wild nail polish, especially the mega last. I love it because it REALLY does last! I recently bought a glittery nail polish for the holidays, because Christmas and New Year’s need a little glitter!

I layered the glitter over the color just to add a little sparkle. It was just enough without looking over the top. If you’re looking for a way to dazzle up your look a little, add some sparkle in your nail polish! It’s a fun addition!
The colors shown here are: (the one in the back) Undercover – I love it because it goes with pinks or reds. The Glitter doesn’t have a color, the only thing on the bottle is “Shine,” but the bar code is 77802 54803.

3. My last idea was concerning decorating my bedroom mantle. I didn’t want greenery and all that kind of Christmas decor, but just some winter touches. I changed it, then changed it again, and then again. I think I finally have it in a way I love. Here’s what made a difference –

Grouping my Willow Tree collection together on one end. If you scatter a collection, they get lost; grouping them together shows off their beauty.
Adding a pop of red also gives the mantle that effect. It needed something on that end, and red roses are perfect for Christmas!
If something doesn’t look right in your decor, keep “fluffing” until you love it. Group like things together, let the heights vary so your eye moves up and down. Add a pop of color.
Oh, and add a cat in the room and it will ALWAYS be the perfect touch! =^..^=

I hope one of my “dazzling ideas” inspired you! I’d love to hear if they did! Now carry on with your Christmas preparations!

Christmas decor · Home decor

My Simple Christmas Home Decor

December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

Christmas mantle 1.jpg

Welcome! Today I’m inviting you to step inside and take a tour of my Christmas decor. I’ve really taken the “simple” route with this part of my Christmas. I do have touches of Christmas throughout my home, but it’s definitely not done in “Biltmore Style!” A little here and a little there is pretty much what you’ll see.

With no further ado, come on inside!

The bench in my foyer is decorated with a fur muff and wool scarf. The basket beneath is full of gloves and ear muffs. They’re easy to grab on the way out the door!

Our tree is upstairs in our family room and can be seen from the street as it stands in a front window.

The dining area – The red chargers and napkins along with my $3 Target Dollar Spot runner add all the Christmas I needed! I drew a Christmas tree on my chalkboard, using the words to a favorite carol.

One guest room –

This room is the perfect color scheme for Christmas decor!

In my sewing/guest room I added old photos and some Christmas greetings on the bulletin board over my work table.

These little Pinterest inspired snow globes add a tiny touch of winter to the guest room. The sweater cover for the vase was also inspired by Pinterest. Old sweaters are great craft supplies!

In my laundry room I added a new calendar that I received as a Christmas gift (I love 13 -month calendars!), along with a light-up snowman. He makes a great night light!

I love adding small touches of Christmas throughout my house. I enjoy the lights, the softness and the warmth the decorations bring. Many of the things I’ve added are items that can be left up through January. When the outside is cold and bare, I can still have the warmth of the lights, throws, textures and candles.

It would be such a waste for us to spend so much time decorating and then never invite friends, neighbors or needy people in. This is probably the easiest time of the year to entertain because our homes are probably the most decorated and lovely than at any other time of the year! But isn’t it easy to feel overwhelmed and too tired? It’s easier to tuck in and forget that others could feel loved and really blessed to be invited into our home. I’ve had some folks in already, and have a neighborhood party planned in the next week, and honestly, though it can be tiring, it’s such a blessing! Let’s open our hearts and our homes and share the warmth of not only our decor, but the love of our Savior, whose birth we are celebrating!!

How are you planning to use your decorated home to share the love of Christ?

Thanks for stopping in for a visit!

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Christmas decor · Crafting · home · Home decor · seasonal decor

Simple Christmas Decor In My Kitchen

December 2, 2016December 1, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

Happy December, y’all! I’m in full decorating mode and almost finished!!

I shared with a friend that I was decorating, and she lamented that she didn’t really have places to put decorations because their home is filled with people, rather than furniture (which is a really great thing!). As I thought about her statement, I thought that there are lots of ways to add Christmas decor or touches that don’t require lots of space. Let me show you a few pictures of my kitchen and I think you’ll see what I mean.

christmas-counter

I added a small basket of ornaments on my cookbooks that I use as a platform for my lamp. Just a simple ornament tied to a lamp, doorknob, or coat hook adds a touch of Christmas! That picture has a sheet of metal in the frame so I can use it as a magnetic board. I change out the picture with the seasons, using an old Susan Branch calendar.

Christmas cabinet.jpg

If you have open cabinetry, it’s the perfect home for Christmas decor! I don’t have a lot above my cabinets, but every Christmas I put these blocks up on top. I made mine at our church’s Pinterest party a few years ago by simply free-handing the letters and Christmas tree on the blocks.

christmas-pantry

The wreath above is hanging on my pantry door. I added fruits, pine cones and a cookie cutter. You could add a wreath to any room or door inside or outside without taking up one inch of needed space!

Christmas buffet.jpg

This table is in my dining room. I’m still working on this space, but as seen in the things I edited onto my photo,like a little greenery, or seasonal cups and saucers, the room looks ready for Christmas!

christmas-candle

Lastly, making your home smell like Christmas is another way to create the holiday atmosphere in your home without taking up much space at all. A plug-in fragrance, a candle, potpourri or simmering pot of citrus and cinnamon would all be great. My sweet neighbor brought me this Yankee candle, and if you want your house to smell amazing, you need one of these! This is Iced Gingerbread. (Right now you can buy one large candle and get one FREE!)

All of my decor are just simple touches – nothing elaborate at all. Refreshing your home for Christmas can be minimal, yet make your home special for your family.

If you need some other ideas for decorations that don’t require much space, here are a few more ideas…

Candy canes in your current decor – baskets floral containers, or a glass jar.
Holiday linens – Place mats, tablecloths, napkins, dish towels
Slipcover couch pillows with Christmas/winter slipcovers.

Make a pinecone garland to hang anywhere – you don’t have to have a mantle!
Print off free printables. Frame and hang!

25 free Christmas printable:

Have you started your decorating for Christmas? What’s your favorite way to add a touch of Christmas to your kitchen?

Each week in December I’ll be posting ideas to help you simplify Christmas. The next post will be on Wednesday in the form of a video. I hope you’ll stop in to hear the six ideas I’ll be sharing!

Stay refreshed,

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Home decor

Refreshment Around the House

November 2, 2016November 2, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

pillow-cover

To keep a home inviting, clean and fresh, it takes attention to details. Not only does the house need a good cleaning each week, but the decor needs to be freshened up, and things that aren’t working and/or functioning well need a solution.

I have three words today to help you do that:

Slipcovers

Paint

Salt

Yes, salt! Let’s start first with…

Slipcovers – We have a chair in our living room that requires my husband to put a pillow behind his back when he sits in it. He has often grabbed one from his office (totally different decor! Ahhh!) and brought it in when we have guests. Recently, I decided I must find a permanent pillow for that seat.

Pillows can be so expensive, and I hadn’t found what I was looking for UNTIL I went to the Hobby Lobby sewing area! I was in the clearance section and found the cutest slipcover for a pillow marked down to $4! I didn’t even have to buy a form for it because I had an ugly velvet pillow with hideous fringe that I had tucked away, and it was the perfect size and shape to slip inside!

pillow-cover-2

I was so pleased with my find! So, if you want to refresh your pillows on your sofa or bed, don’t buy new ones; go looking for slipcovers. You can change them out seasonally for a fraction of the cost!

Paint – Earlier this summer I dried some of my herbs. They continue to produce, so I’ve dried a lot more and stored them in little herb jars I found on clearance at TJ Maxx. Every time I reach into the cabinet for one of them, I have to look carefully before adding it to my food to determine which herb it is. I decided it was time to label the jars so it would make this task easier.

Using scotch tape, I made a square on each jar. Then I painted on several coats of chalkboard paint. When it was dry, I peeled off the tape and used chalk to write the name of the herb on the jar. Not only will I find the herb I need much quicker, the paint adds a cute little bit of charm! What do you need to label? Consider chalkboard paint to do the job!

Salt – We had one bathroom sink that had gotten backed up. Not wanting to purchase a drain cleaner at the store, I researched for a simple solution. The answer was as easy as hot water and salt.

sink clog.jpg

Using a straightened out coat hanger and gloves on my hands, I got rid of any thing that was under the drain.
I poured 1/2 cup of salt slowly into the drain. I added boiling water slowly.
I added more salt (about 1/2 cup) and more hot water.
Immediately the drain opened up and the everything gurgled right down the pipes!

It just makes me smile when things are more organized and function well around my house! Do you need to refresh your home with one of these three tips?

Stay refreshed,