Wedding decor

I  promised pictures of the wedding and decorations I helped with all last week. The bride grew up with my girls and her parents are great friends of ours (the hubby's are inseparable). We prayed them into our neighborhood years ago. When a family moved away, I started praying for a family with children the ages of ours so there would be playmates in the neighborhood. God gave us the Sperry family and we all have been great friends since.  On Sat 1/1/11 their only daughter was married and I was privileged to be a part of the decorating and coordinating. It was a great joy to be involved. Here are some of the pictures

assembling the pew flowers

Working on the Chuppa(canopy)

The guest book table

Gift Table

The reception hall left a christmas tree up un decorated so I just had to decorate it !!

There are so any more pictures but I think theses give the best overall feel of the wedding.
Linking to show and tell @ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/01/show-and-tell-and-giveaway_20.html

Decorating your tree like a pro

This is a tree we did for  client last year

Want your Christmas tree to like like it was decorated by a designer?

1) Start by making sure all the branches are fluffed if it is not a real tree.

2) Make sure all lights are working before putting them on the tree.( this will save you lots of hours of frustration)

3 )Next decorate in layers

4) Start with your ribbon and fabrics
I like to use fabrics to fill in where branches are sparse.

5) Next work on the top display. Break away from just an angel or star on top. Use unexpected items like floral or branches, glitter picks, etc to create a unique and elegant tree top. (like the one shown here)

 6) Next add your balls and ornaments. Start at the top and work your way down in a pattern around the tree so items are evenly spaced.

7) Finish by adding some floral picks or sprays or even berries to fill in the areas that need it.

The important thing is to have fun, use what you already have, go through your fabric and craft boxes and see what might be able to be used. Old snow shoes, Skates, Mittens, Stuffed toys. I have been known to undo floral arrangements that look tired and use the parts in the tree.  I have seen tress done with Kitchen items like spatulas and wisks.You would be surprised what works
Here are a few pictures to help inspire you.

images courtesy of Silver Sage,Elements, google images

Fall is in the air

Touches of fall are showing up everywhere. I love the change of the season, the warm sunny days and the crisp cool nights. I love the color of the landscape, the rich oranges and reds. The smells of spiced pumpkin candles and yummy things baking help to create that warm cozy feeling unique to the fall season. Fall decorating is under way here at the "lovethedecor" home so I thought I would give you a peek:

I am busy getting ready for a huge home decor and Willow House open house this weekend at my home  so I gotta get this decorating done.

Have a great day and don't forget about the great deal on ALL YOU magazine here

Linking to tabletop Tuesday

It's My SITS Day

Today is my special day! Today - I am the featured blogger at The Sits Girls! 

 I'm so blessed to be a featured blogger....

If this is your first visit to my blog Welcome to you!
Kick your shoes off, grab cup of coffee, take a peek around, and stay awhile. I a wife and mother to 4 daughters(1 set of twins),1 wonderful son-in-law,and Grandma to 1 cute 4 month old grandson Ezra
I am a decorator and home stager, who loves what she does. I have been in the home decorating and home furnishings industry for over 20 years. I love to meet with people and help them define their design style . I love to see the look on their faces when we have transformed their spaces into places they love!! I enjoy taking a tiered room or an old piece of furniture and making it new again. I recently did a makeover on our 1980's dresser and I love the result.
I think faith and family are important and spending time with them is a priority. We are a family who loves to laugh.And we laugh often!!
I started my blog orignanlly to promote my web store Lovethedecor.com. A site where you can find unique home decor items. Although I still do this at times, My blog has become more of a place to share decorating and design ideas. Information on products such as flooring info, paint color information, decorating trends, etc.
It has also become a place for sharing what's on my heart now and then, sharing a project or two,maybe a recipe now and then and a place where friendship is found in abundance.
Thank you for stopping in I hope you will choose to come for another visit.
Oh one more thing to thank you for visiting I am offering a
 gift for you is a savings of 20% off your purchase at my webstore
Enter code HOME20  at checkout

Metal Art

Happy Monday! I am off this week to take care of my grandbaby Ezra again but wanted to leave a post for you.  have a great week!

Metal art work or Wall Grills as they are often called, is very big in the world of decorating. Metal art work is great because it is "colorless" so it works in almost any setting. It is a great way to incorporate art without trying to make it match other things in the room. It can give a wall a light airy feel or depending on the piece give it a weightier feel and help anchor the room. Using metal to decorate with can be a good investment. You can change the color scheme of the room and the piece will still match. It can also be moved from one room to the next to refresh a room. This is especially great if you like to change things often. It is important to remember when hanging it, to place it in an area that is proportionate to the size of the piece. A common mistake is placing a piece that is too little above a sofa or piece that is too big on a small wall. Invest in a piece today. You'll be surprised by the versatility of it. If you need help choosing a piece or help with placement, I am available to assist you through my on line decorating service. If item is purchased through www.lovethedecor.com, service is free.

Staging series part 4

Now that you have cleaned things up and organized closets and drawers, it's time to think about color. If you are still living with builder white walls, you may consider a fresh coat of a warm neutral color to enhace the coziness of the home. On the other hand if your walls are filled with bright loud color or so many colors that if feels like a patchwork quilt, then it is a good idea to paint. Remember that while you may love how it all looks, You need to create the environment that will appeal to the majority of potential buyers. Next start at your entry and wander through your home as if you were a potential buyer. Do you notice the room or just the "stuff"? Is there too much furniture?
Are the pathways too narrow?
Are the walls full of way too many groupings?
Are the kitchen counters cluttered with too many appliances?
What about the bathrooms. Are they clean and tidy?
Be honest with yourself as you go throughout your home and try to decide what could be placed in storage to help make the areas feel cleaner and larger.
Again, remember that if you don't feel you can do this, bring in a stager to do it for you.
The money spent on hiring a stager will be the best money spent on helping you get top dollar for your home.
Please join me Wednesday, we will talk about the outside or your home and how to stage it to sell.

Staging it to sell!

So... You're thinking of putting your house on the market. What do you do first? Hire a home stager of course.
Home staging is big in the Real Estate world. It's what will set your home apart and help fetch top $ for you. Home staging is not decorating. Although decorating is a small part of it, it is so much more. I am going to do a small series over the next several posts, with staging ins and outs and tips on how a home stager will benefit you as you prepare to sell your home.
Even if you are not selling your home, my hope is that you will find some tips to help you rearrange, declutter and simplify your home. Stay tuned, more to come...

My Very First Giveaway!

I decided to have a GIVEAWAY to feature a new item I am carrying on my webiste lovethedecor.com called Imageglow® Candles. These are beautiful,unscented candles perfect for those with allergies or for use at dinner parties. imageglow® – the candle with the glowing heart™
They are the perfect hybrid of home accessory + candle.
pillar candles and lantern candles available
with modern patterns embedded in the wax of the candle
that glow when illuminated. There are many styles and patterns to choose from.
an imageglow® candle is the perfect gift for so many occasions in your life
· thank you gifts
· birthday gifts
· anniversary gifts
· coworker gift
· house closing | real estate agent gift
· teacher gift
· memorial candle
· coach gift
· housewarming gift
· hostess gift
. Christmas Gifts
imageglow® candles can be a striking part of your home decor whether your style is rustic decor, modern decor, traditional decor, french country decor or shabby chic decor or an ecclectic style you call your own
· spa candle for your bathroom
· elegant candle for living room
· kitchen candle to add color
· romantic candle for the bedroom

The winner will get (1) 4x6 lantern candle and (2) 3x3 candles in their choice of patterns.

So you know the drill.
Become a follower = 1 entry already a follower, let me know

Visit my website and tell me your favorite item on the site and the candle pattern you would pick if you win = 1 entry

Twitter about the giveaway using @lovethedecor in the twitter blurb.Come back and tell me you twittered. =1 entry

For 2 extra entries, blog about this giveaway and give me the link

Please leave separate comments for each entry.

The winner will be chosen the old fashioned way (on strips of paper placed in a bowl) Tuesday November 3rd

Defining your Decorating Style

When it comes to defining your taste and style in decorating, I have found most people don't know where to begin.
I often meet people who want to make a change or redo a room but don't really know what to do first. I have heard women say "I know what I don't like but I am not sure what I really want". If this sounds like you, I can help. My advice for clients I meet is simple. Start a notebook filled with magazine pages. Not just any magazine page mind you, specific pages. Gather up your favorite decorating magazines, and as you flip through them tear out pages that have things on them you like. Even if there is only one item on the page that grabs you tear it out anyway. (I know that destroying a magazine is going to be hard for some of you, but bear with me it is so worth it). It could be a whole room on a page you like, or just the sofa on another page, perhaps there is a vase, or a painted chest you love. Work on this over the course of a few weeks, don't do it all in one day. Doing it over the course of a few weeks will be a more realistic picture of your style verses doing it all in one day where your mood that particular day may sway you one way or another. You can also take pictures of vignettes in your favorite decorating shops. Always ask permission first prior to snapping pictures in retail stores. Most retailers don't mind, but I have run into a few that would rather you don't. During the course of this project you will begin to see a common theme occur. For example, you may notice that almost every page you picked had brown walls, with white trim work. It would be safe to assume that you would then be drawn to that scheme. Maybe you picked pictures that contained lots of antique furniture or pictures with wood floors in them. Maybe you are drawn to rooms with draperies and lots of pillows etc.
You will begin to narrow down your likes and dislikes and as you go through your notebook again and again you will definatly begin to see your unique style. I have done this process many times over the years. It always amazes me how many times what I think I might like to do, changes by what I see in the pictures I find. For years I thought that when I remodel my kitchen I wanted warm cherry cabinets. As I began the process of tearing out pictures of kitchens I loved every single kitchen I pulled had antique ivory cabinets. I would not have realized this without the process and could have been disappointed with the result of cherry cabinets. See where I am going with this? It really does help you to define your style.
If you are still having trouble, I do offer online decorating services, leave me a comment and I will get back to you with details and pricing.
You can see how this process will help you figure out what it is you really like, helping you create a home you'll love coming home to.