Serve up a romantic dinner for two this Valentine’s Day without a bit of red!  Be adventurous- set a safari table.    

If you’re like me, you take advantage of the cold winter weekends to get your house (and clutter) in order.  Since I don’t have a lot of closet space, I’m always looking for ideas to organize my things in pretty and practical ways.  If a decorative accessory can serve as storage, that’s even better.    

Every January, many of us make resolutions.  Some we keep, but most get broken by the end of the month.  Here at Goodwill, our resolution for the New Year is to help you Live Amazing in 2012.  For many people, reorganizing your home and eliminating clutter is a popular goal.    

You’ll be hearing a lot in 2012 about a relatively new term called upcycling. Upcycling is converting a product or material into something more valuable by making it of higher quality or of higher environmental use.    

Decorating for Christmas is a lot more fun than taking down the tree, safely storing your ornaments and finding a place to put everything until next year.  When the time comes to dismantle your decorations and find closet space, try these storage solutions.    

For many, holiday gifts have been opened and put away, but this week of celebration is far from over.  If you're hosting a New Year's Eve party make it special and toast the new year with a bit of glam and bling.    

With Christmas just a few days away, it's not too late to think about setting a beautiful table.  Last minute shopping at Goodwill is so convenient.  You never know what you'll find and it's always a bargain.    

The big trend in holiday decorating this season is the use unexpected colors.  Bright, iridescent, jewel tones are all the rage.    

The mantle is a great place to display your Christmas collectables, but if you don’t have a fireplace, a coffee table, shelf or end table will work just as well.   

I hope you had a chance to get your outside lights hung while it was warm last weekend. Christmas might be weeks away, but it's never to early to get started with your decorating.   

I love to create beautiful tablescapes for dinner parties.  But sometimes it’s just not possible for everyone to sit down at the same table.   

When the leaves fall from the trees and the weather turns chilly, it’s time to “cozy up” your family room for winter.  It doesn’t take a big decorating budget or weeks of remodeling to turn your room into a welcoming winter retreat. 
  

We have packed away the skeletons and witches and now are moving right into Thanksgiving. It might be too early for turkeys, but take advantage of fall foliage to greet guests this month in your home.  

Jack-O-Lanterns aren’t the only way to illuminate your Halloween party. Decorated jars (right out of your frig) are so simple and inexpensive.  

Carved Jack-O-Lanterns with candles are the perfect decoration for Halloween night.  As you know, if you carve them too soon, they spoil faster. So why not decorate your pumpkins without carving so you can use them indoors or out all month long.  

Last week I showed you how to use picture frames as placemats and I also shared a design tip with you:  

You know me, I love to entertain and plan parties.  I also love the challenge of finding something at Goodwill that I can re-style.  Halloween parties and Goodwill go hand-in-hand! 

The last piece of the re-decorating-a-room puzzle is the accessories. Think of them as jewelry.  After you’re dressed, you carefully choose earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, belts and scarves to complete your outfit. It’s the same when decorating a room. The accessories finish or complete the project. Most importantly, they should reflect your personality. I did notice that my charming little dresser looked a bit lonely without something to dress it up.
 

My challenge for the past several weeks was to create a sophisticated and chic space for a few hundred dollars, repurposing and incorporating as many items from Goodwill as possible! Let’s review what we have so far: An upholstered headboard, a custom bedspread, matching pillows, and drapery panels. This week I’m going to show you how easy it is to freshen-up a dresser while still incorporating our main theme—the embroidered flower.
 

I used every square inch of the purple drapery panel for the head board and the big throw pillow. Since there wasn't any left over for the drapery panels, I found a shower curtain in a similar shade of purple for $2.99. 

By now, you’ve met (or least talked to your roommate) and discussed how to decorate your dorm room.  It’s always a challenge to meld two personalities and design styles into one small space.  And decorate a room that expresses your personality while staying on budget.

A task light provides illumination for reading or working. Spot lights highlight artwork, dark corners or the front of your house.

Redecorating an entire room can seem daunting, time consuming and expensive – but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to have a plan!

Join me on this redecorating journey. You will be amazed at what I find at Goodwill!

Redecorating an entire room can seem daunting, time consuming and expensive – but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to have a plan!

Join me on this redecorating journey. You will be amazed at what I find at Goodwill!

Pamper dad on Sunday with a meal prepared just for him. Even if dad likes to do the cooking or grilling, set a fabulous table and take care of the clean-up.

Think earth tones and rustic elements when setting the table for the men in your life.

That means getting creative with something as basic as canning jars.

A secret to good design is to make sure you have contrast somewhere in your room. ITension creates drama and interest.

That’s what I love about this communication board: it’s old-school with a modern twist.

You know me: I love to get creative at the dinner table. Holiday meals are a great time to show off your amazing finds from Goodwill to your family and friends.