Pillows and More Pillows

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to shape up a living room or a bedroom, turn to pillows. I have three sets of pillow covers for different parts of the year, and I aim to get more. Although I am definitely, definitely not Martha Stewart, setting out different pillows for fall makes me feel like something of a homemaker. I’m fooling myself, but a little self-satisfaction around my decorating skills isn’t a bad thing. We have a couch and a chair, and both of them are relics from my husband’s grandmother. They are good quality, so we kept them. … Continue reading →

Creating an Early Spring Nature Table

One of the highlights of our living room is a very simple display. This is good, because although I love home decorating, I do not have decorations that are particularly fancy or expensive. Sometimes it seems like I lack decorations that have subtle flair. I also have no skill at flower arranging. However, a nature table is perfect for a family with small children. It’s a chance to highlight many of your child’s finds in a visually pleasing and thematic way. We decided to create a nature table after two things happened. One was that I inherited my grandfather’s lovely … Continue reading →

Decorating the Christmas Tree

We finally got our Christmas tree on Thursday. Because it’s a real tree and summer here in Australia we can’t afford to buy the tree too early. A week is about right. Given the cost of them this year, possibly because of the drought that covers 80 percent of Australia, it’s a smaller tree than usual. Couldn’t justify the extra expense to get a bigger one. Anyway, it’s still got that Christmas tree smell. Putting the Christmas tree up turned into a funny exercise with Mick a screwing the screw into the stand while I held the tree firmly. Meanwhile, … Continue reading →

How to Make a Card Tree

Well the nativity scene is up right in a prominent place in the hall near the front door where anyone who comes can see it. The parcel man was the first visitor to see it. Then the lights went on the front window. The blue lights look like a crown around the bell and the star and the gold lights are arranged in a pattern around the bottom. It looks very pretty. The wreath is on the front door and baskets of pine cones and tinsel are scattered around several rooms. All we need now is the Christmas tree which … Continue reading →

Decorating for Christmas

Now I don’t know about you, but I’m appalled at some of the Christmas displays on homes. Where is a written that Christmas light displays or Christmas decorations have to be tacky? Am I the only person out there who doesn’t think that more is not always the best way to go? It often seems that when it comes to Christmas anything goes. There are Santas and elves, reindeer and snowmen and well you get the idea. Of source in a country like Australia where we have recently embarked in summer and where temperatures are hot, not cold, snowmen and … Continue reading →

Free Thanksgiving Decorations and Ideas

Turkey Day is almost here. Hopefully you have your plans all made for Thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving meal. How about the decorations? Here are some ideas for decorating, as well as links to some free printable decorations. If you have rubber stamps, you can make some great napkin holders. Just stamp out a “thanks” message, a general design or even a turkey on to a piece of colored paper. Cut the paper into a strip, wrap it around a rolled napkin and tape in the back. Family Fun Family Fun Magazine’s web site has a lot of great step by … Continue reading →

When Do You Decorate for the Holidays?

This morning, as we were sitting down for a leisurely breakfast, I glanced through the dining room at the picture window in the living room. I beheld a very strange site. There were our fall decorations: a jolly scarecrow, a basket of small pumpkins, a thick wire pumpkin candle holder, a cloth in a soft fall burgundy and more. Just past the decorations, the view outside was incongruous. The scene showed a wintery wonderland of woods. Suddenly, my fall decorations looked out of place. Traditionally, we usually wait until the middle of December to begin the holiday decorating. Maybe, if … Continue reading →

Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature

Have you ever considered using a cut log as a decorative element? This is just one of the many ideas I have for fall and holiday decorating with nature. Fall is a wonderful time for gathering the bounty around you and using it to decorate. And for the holidays, there is often nothing quite as homey and bringing a bit of the outdoors in. It gives a sense of that old fashioned Christmas we all dream about. I talked a little bit about using nature in yesterday’s post about centerpieces and decorative items, but let’s expand to cover little touches … Continue reading →

Halloween Party Themes

It’s not too late to put on a spectacular Halloween party at home. Invite your neighbors to come over after trick or treating, or plan the party for the day after Halloween and get a little more use out of those costumes. Having a Halloween party theme can go a long way in making preparations easier. You can have a set of parameters to work in, so making decisions about decorations and food will be easy. Just remember that there are different approaches to having a party for kids and a party for adults. Adults might not appreciate the cutesy … Continue reading →

Some Simple Ideas for Fourth of July

With more and more families staying at home or doing things together such as camping, we find that items featured in stores this time of year are geared toward activities such as eating outdoors. Camping and picnic gear is very popular and you can find a great variety not only in disposable tableware but also in reusable, hard plastic items. From plates to tumblers you can choose from a large assortment of brightly colored solids or prints. If using paper plates, look for colored plate holders. For some patriotic table setting at your Fourth of July get-together, try stacking solid … Continue reading →