Arrangment Perspective

I love having a formal living room, but the room has it's share of challenges. The ceilings are high.It's long and large, measuring 13 1/2 feet by 21 feet, but is has only one solid wall. The other walls contain large windows or door openings, with one that opens into the dining area.Because of the quirks of the room I kept my furniture in the exact same spot for a few years. Then one day, as I stood high upon a ladder painting, I viewed my near empty room from a different angle and perspective. I wondered why I had allowed myself to get trapped in a furniture arrangement rut?!?
Of course there were a few pieces that couldn't be moved because of size or practicality, but others could find a new home. Just because the room is odd doesn't mean the furniture placement has to be stuck in a rut.
Because of my ladder-top awakening I've never kept the furniture in the same spot since. These are some different arrangements I've had over the years.Sometimes it takes looking at a room from a new perspective to see how it can be rearranged. You can get on a ladder (like I did), empty the room out to start fresh, try an on-line room design site, or ask a trusted friend where they would place your furniture. You might even try switching furniture pieces from other rooms.

Are you in a furniture arrangement rut
or do you like to move things around?
***Don't forget to enter the Scentsy giveaway***

Edit Profile

I had to edit my profile this week.
It now reads that I am a happy Nonnie to
THREE beautiful granddaughters!

I was privileged to be in the room as Granddaughter #3 was born last week on July 22nd. What a thrill to welcome another girl into our family.This means, for the first time in more than twenty years,
our family has an even amount of males and females.
Hooray!!!
My sweet daughter-in-law tells me that I deserve to have a lot of girl grandbabies to make up for years of living with an abundance of boys. I couldn't agree more!

A Scentsy Giveaway

I love to walk in my front door and be greeted with a wonderful fragrance. One way I get my house to smell sweet (instead of like men, a cat, or last night's dinner) is with my Scentsy.

Scentsy is a safe, wickless candle system that gently warms wax and as it does it
makes your home smell wonderful!

Scentsy offers a lot of styles like this one from their classic collection, or these DIY warmers that can be decorated to suit your personality. This darling cupcake warmer is the warmer of the month. Chilly Zoretic, a director for Scentsy, has offered to give away a full-size Scentsy warmer and a fragrance of choice to one lucky Joys of Home reader. To enter go to her site, browse through the catalog and choose your favorite warmer then come back here and leave a comment.
For an extra entry sign up for Chilly's Scentsy newsletter.

Good Luck and Good Scents To You!
The giveaway will be open until Midnight (MT) August 1st, 2011
The winner will be announced August 2nd

Couldn't Be Simpler

We live in an incredible age!

We have decorating inspiration galore at the touch of a finger. Yet, I fear we can feel that if we are not spending money and/or hours re-purposing, refurbishing, spray painting, sewing, hot gluing, or adding rope onto something then we aren't really decorating.

Making your home beautiful can be
simple and fast.

It's as easy as placing your favorite collection
in a silver tray or pretty bowl.Even simpler, place a pretty rock,
(I found this one at a nearby stream) or shell atop a stack of books.These are simple joys that make for a pretty home.

Bouquets of Gladness

Once or twice a month I like to buy a bouquet of flowers.
Fresh flowers have such a way of gladdening my heart and home. I don't feel the need to buy flowers from a florist when I can get beautiful budget bouquets at the grocery store.
This week I splurged and brought home two bouquets. There was such a wonderful assortment of flowers that I couldn't pick just one!
The first bunch that caught my eye were these
lovely gladiolas. Their size alone makes a great design statement. I chose to add some sea glass to help anchor the arrangement.

You can see why I had to buy these flowers. I've never seen anything like them before. They have a stem similar to a carnation but their heads look like a combination of a fern, grass, and a moss ball. I just couldn't resist!

I cut them short and placed them into a vintage pottery piece designed to look like bamboo. I'm excited to see how long they last.Do you buy grocery store bouquets to

gladden your heart and home?

Ramsign Winner

Congratulations to Lorilee
from Cackleberry Cottage.

Random generator picked your comment, #24, to be the winner of the Ramsign giveaway. Please email me with your contact info so you can get your sign.

How Does My Garden Grow

We live in a zone 5 growing area. It's important to know your zones if you want to grow a nice garden. Being in a zone 5 means we need to wait until May to plant. If you plant your garden any sooner you risk the chance of a freeze that will mean you have to start over with your garden.
The last few years my garden hasn't been planted until June which makes for a short growing season. But this year, because I left town at the end of May I made sure to get my garden in early. And now I am reaping the benefits!

Green and Yellow ZucchiniCrook Neck SquashSpaghetti SquashEggplantCucumbersThe tomatoes should be ripening in a couple of weeks.I can't wait for BLT's. YUM!
There's even a watermelon.

And hopefully, come fall,
there will be many pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.Did you notice my secret to success?
I line my garden with black plastic before planting.
It helps to keep the plants warm and their roots moist.
It also cuts down significantly on weeds and garden critters.

Do you have any gardening secrets?
Today's the last day to enter the Ramsign Giveaway

Be The Designer

This lovely home belongs to my client and friend Tristan. I've been lucky enough to work with her for a few years. We met when her home was being built and I've had the great pleasure of laughing with her and designing for her. I've showed you a part of her beautiful home already when I designed this wall that her talented husband built.This week she asked me to help solve a few design dilemmas she has with her kitchen. She's feeling that her kitchen needs a little pizzazz and that there's a little too much bright white.
Here's a hint of the colors she'd like to use. Her main concerns are the pantry door and her white table and chairs. I gave her my ideas and, since she knows that I write a blog, we thought it might be fun for my creative readers to give her some suggestions too. So. . . here's your chance to

be the designer! What suggestions do you have for Tristan's kitchen?****Don't forget to enter the Ramsign giveaway****

RAMSIGN Giveaway

***The giveaway is closed***

Perhaps you may have already seen a RAMSIGN giveaway on other blogs in blogland.
I've entered to win one because I thought they were so beautiful. I haven't been lucky enough to win, but RAMSIGN is offering one of you the opportunity to win a sign here at Joys of Home.RAMSIGN is a small Danish company that specializes in manufacturing and selling classic enamel signs based upon original designs and techniques. They offer real old fashioned, hand stenciled signs, featuring original design, thick and glossy enamel, and a 30-year warranty. All you need to do to win is go to their site and pick your favorite style, then come back here and leave a comment. For an additional entry, link this giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook page. The winner will receive one house number sign (not name signs or address plaques) in their choice of numbers from 1 digit and up to 5 digits, and in one of the five different styles. RAMSIGN ships worldwide so everyone can participate in the giveaway.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!

The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 at Midnight MT.
The winner will be announced Wednesday, July 20th.