Our family friends~

Isabella Mia, and Papi ( Jimmy )

My designs~ Inside and out

Meson Sabika~ Fundraiser for Haiti

Refreshing Your Home For The 2010~

I always feel as if I have cleared out the clutter of my very being each time the end of Christmas and the New Year rolls around. The taking down of the decor for the season and reorganizing bins of old for new, and placing back the space to an clean slate. I dont know but something about that process makes me want to declutterize and refresh my home in anticipation of the Spring.

Being realistic is the first step in beginning this process and not puting rediculous expectations on yourself! Take it section by section and start with an achievable goal that will set you in the right frame of mind to tackle the rest.

I find that making a short list of things to achieve and things that I would like to aventually do is the first step in this endeavor.

Write a down all of the things that you love about your space, the things you can do without and the things you would like to see in the future.

I like to light scented candles and listen to motivating music in order to put myself in the right frame of mind! This makes it a bit more enjoyable while proceeding with the task at hand~

Another good motivating tool is to watch a show that sparks your imagination, or purchase a book or magazine that can give you some fresh ideas to add to your home.

Whatever you do, take lots of breaks and take time to enjoy the accomplishments you make, this will help you strive to continue with your organization and projects without burning out. Working on a closet and placing functional bins and clearing out clutter for resale, donation or to a friend can be a great start!

Lets Begin~

Now that you have compiled some pics from magazines, and chosen some books that best describe your style, lets begin.

I find that if you determine what room in your home is the hub for everyone, and start at that point, the other rooms will fall into place nicely once you have completed this area.

Remember I had told you inspiration usually comes from art, a rug, or fabric? Well if you do not already have this to start with, go out and get that great rug, or purchase that awesome chair that really makes you smile, or find that piece of art that speaks to your soul, or just makes you happy! Now from this point, take a picture of the item you have been inspired to start with, and bring that with you to the paint store, and I would suggest that any color chip you choose, should stay light to medium in color, and also remember that you will have to live with this day in and day out, so choose colors, that you will not tire of. I am not opposed to color in fact on the contrary, however I like to keep more bold or saturated color to the powder room, bathroom, or bedrooms, this way you can enjoy them, but not be with them constantly.

If you have chosen a neurtral rug, remember that there are many shades of beiges, whites and creams. It is a good idea to refer to your magazines and books again to see the application of color in a main room. Another couple of good tips are to go to Benjamin Moore web site, and put in pics of your room, and apply the colors you have chosen to see how they might look , remember, this is not 100% accurate, but it does give you a good idea. If you would like a more realistic representation of this, by a large core board, or drywall piece, and purchase a quart of your chosen paints, then paint those surfaces, and set them in the area you are going to paint(setting on a fireplace mantle is a good area) and view this from day until evening watching how the light affects the color, and see if it still works for you.

Just a note: If you have chosen an area rug for your inspiration piece, do remember that larger is better... You dont want too small of a rug leaving your furniture floating....chose something that will define the area of furniture and make it feel grounded, the legs of most of the pieces, should at least touch the rug. Also remember that a rug can be angled , and does not need to stay in line with the room, this adds for more interest. Okay, that's quite a lot to try to tackle, so take your time, and have fun, and I will write more soon!