Ideas and furnishings for your home

There's an interesting piece on Bennington Potters spatterware and a nice selection of task lamps in the February 2013 issue of Country Living, plus helpful articles on furnishing a small space and finding affordable furnishings. (They don't have to be new! Use your imagination.) Large blueprints add an fun and colorful touch, btw.

Are you keeping too much stuff? Why? (link)

Here are eight questions to ask yourself when wondering why you've accumulated so much clutter: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/how-to-organize-your-clutter?src=nl&mag=ghk&list=nl_gga_clo_non_122613_organize-clutter#slide-1

You don't have to pay big bucks to decorate your home (link)

Check out these comparisons: http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/the-highlow-list-for-everyday-items/pictures/index.html

Merry Christmas!

You can enjoy watching the fire in the fireplace while listening to Christmas music on the UP channel.

Ideas for small spaces

The January issue of Southern Living has some good suggestions for working with small spaces.  That dark blue wood floor looks good; it's supposed to have a cooling effect during hot Southern summers; the 8 inch band of red paint at the base of the walls takes the place of millwork; and the area rug keeps it from being too blue.  Wall hangings and rugs add color and pattern to a room without taking up space.  If you can open up to an outdoor room, that helps.  Use the right-sized bed.  (A home owner found an antique Empire bed that's bigger than a twin bed, but smaller than a double.  (I imagine that there are custom-built beds.)  And check out the ideas for laundry rooms, libraries, kitchens, and offices also.  And there are more articles on homes, gardening ( I enjoy the Grumpy Gardener's column), and recipes.

Christmas gift and decorating ideas

The December issue of HGTV Magazine has holiday decorating, gift, and DIY ideas, and I enjoyed the crafts IQ quiz.  (I wonder why they didn't include blue painter's tape for adhering stencils?)  And two columns I like are the Upside and Downside of decisions and How bad is your choice in making a variety of decisions.  (People actually dry their nails under a UV light?!)  Oh, wait!  There's another column I like: It compares high priced products with a similar product that's cheaper.  Sometimes the imitation looks just as good or better.  There are lots of pictures, suggestions, and advice in this issue.