Add Some Romance To Your Valentine's Day Decorating

These tips are simple and easy, requiring almost no time, and items you may already have around your house. Don't worry about red and pink not matching the rest of your home's décor. This holiday is more fleeting than Christmas, so it won't affect your overall decorating scheme.

•· Instead of dining where you always do, choose a new spot. Move a small table in front of the fireplace or into the center of your living room. If the weather permits where you live, go out onto a porch, patio or deck. A beautiful view, whether mountains, city lights, or the stars will add an ambiance that no amount of decorating can top.

•· Create a romantic atmosphere with music wafting through the room. Dim the lights or turn them off, use the glow of candles to not only enhance the romance factor, but to add that attractive glow to your own face.

•· When setting your Valentine table, use your good linens, dishes, silverware and glasses. A small vase of flowers and candles on top of a mirror placed in the center of your table will reflect the candlelight as well as the flowers.

•· No fireplace, no problem. Get the "Ambient Fire: Ultimate Video Fireplace" for 10.99 at Amazon.com, with 9 different fireplace scenes to fit your mood.

•· Scatter rose petals or heart-shaped confetti over the table's surface to add to the décor and romance of your meal.

•· Drape clear, white, or pink bead garlands in your chandelier. The clear beads will reflect the light adding that starlight quality to your surroundings.

•· Visit Omahasteak.com, or visit your local stores, for prepared meals that only need heating up in the oven. Or arrange for a take-out meal for two from your favorite restaurant. Not having to spend hours on preparation will allow you to have a more relaxed evening.

With everyone strapped for time these days, you can offer your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other a romantic, enjoyable, and relaxing evening. What other way to show someone you love them then to take the time to make an otherwise standard dinner a romantic affair!

Copyright 2008 Creative Home Expressions

Getting Organized

I recently came across this website called See Jane Work, which has some great items for organizing your home or office (or both!). From agendas and calendars to desktop items to storage and organization, this site has it all and with decorative style.

Beware: You could spend hours looking through all their items! If you start now, you can be on your way to a fashionably organized and clutter-free home or office by the end of the month.

Copyright 2008 Creative Home Expressions

New Year, New Room

Interior redesign is taking items you already own and reusing them. The best part is that it doesn’t cost you anything if you do it yourself. If you have a room that you feel could use a facelift, but you still like your “things” give an interior redesign a try.

Start by emptying the room of all but the heaviest pieces. This includes most furniture, accessories, plants, pictures, lamps, wall décor and any other items you may have in this room. If the heavier pieces are staying in place, you don’t have to move them around at all.

Put everything into another room and group them together (i.e. pillows, candles, pictures). Clear your mind of how the room used to be and look at the room with fresh eyes. Do you have a focal point in this room, a fireplace or large picture window? Start to bring in your seating pieces and place them so that they are taking in the focal point. Once you have these pieces set in a pleasing arrangement, start to bring your other furniture pieces in – tables, occasional chairs, plant stands. If you could use another side table “shop” through other rooms in your home and see if there is something you can use.

Once the furniture is done look over your current accessories from this room. If you want to change something out, “shop” from your other rooms, the basement and even the attic. You may have something that you had forgotten about that might refresh this room.

Starting with pictures or wall décor, re-hang these items to take into account your new furniture arrangement. Try not to fill every wall with something as the eye needs some place to rest and when it can’t rooms tend to look cluttered.

Now it’s time for the rest of your accessories. Place the lamps you will be using (you may decide to trade out your bedroom end table lamps for your living room lamps) so that each seating area has some lighting. Bring in any throw pillows and place them on your furniture, and so on.

You don’t have to bring everything you took out back into the room. You can pack it up for the time being and bring it out again in six months. Or you may find that you like it better in another room. You will find that you have a new appreciation for these pieces.

copyright 2008 Creative Home Expressions

Create A Relaxing Bedroom

Bedrooms wind up becoming a catch-all for everything at the end of the day. Clutter is a big part of the problem. It is really a matter of putting things in their proper place at the end of the night to avoid that. Sometimes it is necessary to employ closet organizers, or if you have the room under your bed, underbed storage containers.

It is also like the other rooms in your home - you don't have to put everything you own out in sight. Pictures and chachtkes should be kept to a minimum. This is a room that should invite relaxation so that you can relax, destress and be able to fall asleep.



To aide in the decluttering, a twice a year sweep through your closets should be done to clear out clothing that doesn't fit, that you haven't worn in two seasons or that is from the 1980's. Throw it out or donate it.

Surfaces (bedside tables, dressers) should be clear of only what you need; a lamp, one or two pictures, some tissues, a book. If your bedside tables have drawers, all the better. Keep your non-necessary items put away.

The bed is the focal point in the majority of bedrooms. It can also look disheveled if you are due for some new bedding. Worn out and faded bed linens can take even the most beautifully decorated bedroom down a notch. Invest in a nice comforter set to reflect the mood you want to set in the room. Make sure you have nice plump pillows, not only for sleeping, but to make your bed look inviting to you.

Finally, paint can make a huge difference in the way you perceive your bedroom. More soothing, relaxing colors such as green and blue can be made to feel warm and cozy with some touches of brown.

Copyright 2008 Creative Home Expressions