A Year, Already???
We are closer to Christmas than we are to the last July long weekend. THAT puts it into perspective, a bit, doesn’t it?
Here are a few tips you can use to get your spaces ready for Christmas, without breaking the budget, again, or still.
With decorating, you want to remember to put your money where you can see it. If you need new curtains in the kitchen or drapes in the living room this is the time to do them. Fabrics are on sale- both in the stores and through me, and if you act soon, you can still have the new look in time for Christmas.
So – spend a bit of money on fabric and use the following tips to get the rest of the house spiffed up.
De-clutter your public spaces. You may not realize how disconcerting your clutter is to your guests. You are used to it — they are not. We all want our home to be calming and inviting, especially at the holidays, so get rid of the old magazines and nick-knacks. Don’t just put stuff in baskets on shelves, or in boxes in the garage- get rid of it.
Get your carpets cleaned. This accomplishes two things. First, you get clean carpets and
second it forces you to move everything and perhaps take the opportunity to really look at what is adding to the ambience of the room and what is not.
Clean your windows.
Paint is one of the least expensive ways to change the appearance of a room. The smaller your budget, the more you need to hire a decorator to help you choose colors. – You can’t afford to make mistakes and a one hour consultation will cost about the same as a gallon of good quality paint.
Choose accessories for a room with the same care as you choose ear-rings to coordinate with your dress. For example, get rid of the old, tired cushions — no matter how sentimental you feel towards them — and replace them with a few, but beautiful, cushions 20-22 inches square.
Take a good look at the lighting in your public rooms, replace the bulbs if the light is dingy or changes the color of things. Upgrade the light bulbs to full spectrum lights — yes, it will cost a bit, but everything looks better with these lights.
I believe that Christmas is about quality: your family and friends and not about quantity: the number of presents under the tree. So, give yourself a break and don’t try to do everything. Pick a few chores, get them done soon – with the help of a professional if need be – and focus on keeping your heart happy. You, and everyone around you, will thank you for it.
And I’d like to add this little visual gem. I wanted to use it as the image for this post, but the file is corrupted so I couldn’t purchase it but I WILL do that as soon as it gets fixed. In the meantime, it made me chuckle. I can relate. I bet some of you can, too.
