Potpourri For Me!

I remember distinctly the first time I discovered potpourri —it was a mulberry mix in my mom's friend's house — and I was in love with the scent! Who knew that something so weird looking could have such fragrance?!

With that in mind, I write to you about one of my current favorite mixes, "country apples with oranges" — it smells like a cup of warm apple cider!

Follow the instructions HERE for tips on how to make the potpourri and then do further reading on THIS ARTICLE for how to keep the potpourri clean and dust-free.

What Size Place Mats?

Planning your table for a gathering may entail not only creating a seating chart, but it may also require you to buy or create new place mats. If you're trying to determine how large your place mats should be for your table there are a few things to consider. You'll need to know how large your table is and also how many people you want to have at the table. Although there are some general guidelines for how many people comfortably sit at a table, using place mats helps keeps people contained in one area and may allow you to sit people closer together than normal. Check out THIS ARTICLE for info on how to determine how to measure your table for place mats.

Measuring for Drapery Panels

Liven up a room with a splash of color — it's easy to do with new drapery panels. If your windows were naked previously, don't worry, ensuring you get good-fitting window treatments is simple with a few easy steps.

You'll need a friend to help you hold the tape measure though. Follow the step-by-step instructions in THIS ARTICLE to show you what to do and how much extra fabric to allow for hemming and positioning of the drapes on the wall.

Who's Got the Button?

Who doesn't love button collecting? I'll admit, I have a sort of fetish about buttons, I LOVE them! But I don't have a collection, mostly because I'm not willing to spend tons of money on buttons, and because I don't really have a spot for them, but I really, completely, UTTERLY enjoy viewing buttons. In fact, sometimes I selected clothing for my kids based on the buttons- tiny little baseball decorated buttons for my boys, and huge hot pink buttons for my daughter.

And while I'm not the biggest button collector myself, I still enjoyed researching and writing a little bit about the fun hobby of button collecting. If you're interested in starting your own collection, or just want to know what the hub-bub is all about, check out THIS article of mine published on Bright Hub.

Reindeer Wreath Cuteness

Reindeer wreaths are an ultra-cute way to decorate for the holidays and are very simple to make yourself. Start with a bunch of fallen pinecones and a wreath form, or purchase a ready-made pinecone wreath from the craft store-- look for a plain wreath with no glitter or paint on the pinecones. (Inspiration taken from the book Family Fun Homemade Holidays.)

Add a few fun accessories, such as a ski cap, gloves, and pom-pom balls, and you're ready for a cute door decoration that shows your holiday spirit. Check out THIS article for step-by-step directions.

Decorating Votive Candle Holders

Votive candles, you know- those tiny little candles- look cute all on their own, or when placed inside glass candle holders. If you're table needs a little pick-me-up or is just screaming for some personalization, you can easily decorate those votives to suite your needs and tastes.

Don't worry, these ideas don't break the bank, and they don't take forever either. Just gather together some of your favorite supplies in a coordinated color and you're ready to start adding some personality to those plain candles. Check out THIS article for great info on how to decorate votives.

Making a Fresh Flower Corsage

This summer I had the opportunity to work with my friend Denise with her floral business TruSo Weddings. Thanks to her training, I learned how to make corsages and boutineers, which actually aren't that difficult to make.

For step-by-step info on how to make a corsage check out THIS ARTICLE on one of my new writing clients, Bright Hub.