yhumc.org

What could be more fun when you think about it than incorporating the age-old story of cowboys and Indians into your home décor? For those who love a great story and have a wild sense of adventure this could be an incredibly fabulous design theme for your next home decorating project. This is a great way to bring the rustic charm of the old west into the modern world of today’s busy lifestyles.

Immediately visions of the hacienda with knotty pine and leather upholstered furniture comes to mind. Massive fireplaces and antlers everywhere are also first and foremost in my mind when this design idea pops into my head. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and only limited by your budget in all honesty. This is a look that could be pulled off however on almost any budget for those that are willing to make a few thrift store purchases along the way while investing a fair amount of elbow grease. Read the rest of this entry »

There are very few things you can add to your home décor that will have quite the versatility of baskets. Baskets are not only decorative touches, they also blend well with almost any décor and in most cases are quite willing to suit dual purposes as both decoration and much needed storage.

Below you will find some clever ways to use baskets. Enjoy!

1) Mail sorter. Try hanging a row of baskets near your entryway. As you are walking into your home while sorting the mail slip the appropriate piece of mail into the corresponding basket. Have one basket for each family member and drop the junk mail into the wastebasket you’ve placed just below the row of baskets on your wall. This way everyone has easy access to his or her mail and junk mail is handled as well. Read the rest of this entry »

There really is no style of home decorating that can be identified as decidedly Native American. There are however touches that can be added to almost any style of décor. The trick is always a matter of incorporating these things without making them seem out of place. Of all the design styles that exist, and of course depending on the tribe in question, the southwestern style of home decorating and design would actually make a good match for many Native American artifacts, touches, and artwork.

Pottery is central to a Native American theme. Different tribes had different styles of creating pottery. If you have a favorite tribe or a favorite style of pottery you may want to build the remainder of the room or design area around the pottery you love as it is quite personal to many people and not all styles of pottery will match all other styles of weaving, carving, basket making, or artwork. Pottery is very useful in a kitchen if you plan to use some of it in this room. Not only can most pottery be baked when cooking but it also works wonders for storing things like utensils that you would like to have in reach, strays, napkins, and any other things you can think to store within the pottery you have available. If you are going to pay for it you may as well put it to good use. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to home decorating there are few rooms that have quite the impact of a bathroom or kitchen when being decorated. There is something wonderful about taking a tired old bathroom and making it seem bright and shiny once again. Most people, however, cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel fearing the absolute worst when it comes to their financial situation once all is said and done. The good news is that small steps can lead to big changes in rooms as small as bathrooms. These small steps do not have to have large prices in order to be highly effective.

My suggestion with a bathroom is to assess where the worst blemishes and eyesores may be. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinetry. This is one room where it is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the beginning. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of real estate. Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger. Read the rest of this entry »

The Internet has become a world of opportunity for home buyers over the years, giving them new and improved ways to buy interior shutters. With the Internet by your side, you can find hundreds of shutters that you can buy with just a few clicks of your mouse.

The ease of use is the most important feature for online companies when it comes to interior window shutters. Websites that are poor in design and difficult to navigate are of little use to potential customers. Good shutter websits should display navigation choices on every page, including choices for construction material, styles, finishes, price, measuring, and the ability to buy shutters.

Read the rest of this entry »

Textured paint and faux finishes have become more popular in recent years than at any other point in history. One reason for this is because so many home improvement stores are offering classes for those who are willing to pay the price for the paint so that the average Joe or Jane can recreate these fabulous finishes on their own walls as well. The fact is it is truly amazing what works of art can be created with the clever and creative use of textured paint.

Faux finishes can be used to create the illusion of anything from plaster or brick to leather and a few amazing things in between. Those who are skilled at applying faux finishes are in great demand for their artistic talents though most home owners can do a passable job if they are willing to take the time required to properly learn the technique. Even wood grains can be imitated through the use of a talented faux finisher and paint.

Read the rest of this entry »

When your bathroom needs a quick pick-me-up, there’s no faster way to give it an update than by purchasing new bathroom accessories.  One of the perpetual hot trends is bathroom accessories in pink.  If you are ready for your bathroom to be “in the pink,” you’ve got several options.

You can buy a full set of bathroom accessories in pink, including a tumbler, soap dish, lotion dispenser, tissue box holder and wastebasket and then use a contrasting or coordinating color such as black or green for your towels, shower curtain and bathroom rug. Or perhaps you might like to buy the set of bathroom accessories in pink and choose a floral shower curtain and matching towels, for the effect of a gorgeous spring garden.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our summer gardens are filled with all kinds of pests at one time or another. One pest that has potentially nasty health consequences to many species that may be welcome additions to your summer garden habitat is the very unwelcome mosquito. Keep reading to discover steps you can take to keep mosquitoes from invading your personal space and keep friends, families, and animals safe and protected in your summer garden.

One way to minimize your exposure to mosquitoes is by minimizing their ability to procreate. They must lay eggs in still water in order to breed and you can remove as many sources of potential breeding ground as possible by keeping your lawn and summer garden area free of any debris that will allow even a minimal amount of standing water to collect after a rainfall. This means you must keep your gutters clean and free of debris, make sure all cans and bottles are picked up and placed inside a garbage can that is lidded. Keep lids on garbage cans at all times, and change animal bowls daily.

Read the rest of this entry »

There is something to be said about a southwestern styled home decorating plan. It is undeniably beautiful and in incredibly elegant when done with an eye for the real beauty of this style of architecture and design. More importantly, in the right home, this style of décor can be nothing short of fun. From geckos to cowboys, and cacti to anything in between there are plenty of options from which to choose when it comes to southwestern design.

The southwestern design and décor style is more than one thing. It is more like a lifestyle-much like the Creole home decorating style. There are many things that make the southwest such a wonderful place to live and visit. It makes perfect sense that many would want to bring these things into their homes in order to experience them day after day, even when the southwest seems so very far away. In fact, even those who have never seen or experienced the southwestern states of the US for themselves have found the style of architecture and décor to be enchanting enough to want to incorporate it into their homes.

Read the rest of this entry »

There are many things that must be considered when planning and planting your summer garden. One of those things is the natural landscape or terrain of your lawn and garden area. It is best, whenever possible to work with the landscape rather than working against it or going to extraordinary efforts to make changes to the natural landscape of your lawn when you could very easily and beautifully plan your summer garden to go with the flow of and work well with the natural terrain of your lawn and garden area.

One way in which this is accomplished is by taking a quick survey of your lawn. This will need to be more than a cursory visual survey. You will need to walk your lawn and the area in which you are planning for your garden space. You will need to measure the terrain and take not of inclines and slopes. While you are at it, you need to study the condition of the soil and any areas that seem particularly inhospitable for planting.

Read the rest of this entry »