Fans

Friends, how often do we forget to clean our fans? All the time. It takes a few seconds to clean, but it's not top of mind awareness. Tomorrow, clean the fans. Thoroughly. Your allergies will thank you.

Take It Down a Notch

Spring cleaning is so easy. Throw away things you haven't used in 2 years. Sentimental like me? Get a cute box and organize it.
Dust bunnies are gross-tackle them all. Lampshades, under the bed, behind the dresser....you know where they live.
If you want to be trendy and go green, use organic cleaners-I love Seventh Generation.
Too much clutter equals too much stress. Donate, sell, or toss it.
Peace.

A Bounty of Ideas

MMM I love the new Bounce Dryer Sheets-the natural collection. They are from Heaven.
And a whole website on making your house smell yummy.
See it!

Tips from the South

 
For some of you, Gail Pittman is a staple. For those outside the South, you may not know about famed Gail Pittman. It's true for the Mississippi brides....when you register for gifts upon your engagment, you are asked 3 questions: What is your china pattern? (and is it at McRae's, now somewhat known as Belk)... What is your everyday pattern? What is your Gail Pittman pattern? I promise you this is asked, as I know first hand as a bride in...2001. Man that seems a long time ago.
I registered for the ever popular Annabella. That's what everyone had back then. Now, things have changed. Patterns are more fun and I love the new ones! And of course my tastes change...I wouldn't pick the same everyday pattern that I chose then. But I would pick the same husband!
My new favorite is anything but Annabella. Please no more of that. But I love these Chinatown mugs I received as a gift...displaying them proudly. Enjoy! She's also a featured artist for Southern Living at Home, if you order any of their products. I highly recommend those for any decorating projects.

In process

 
Dwell Well is in the process of reorganizing the kitchen of our home offices in BSL to get ready for the holiday season. Rearranging, reorganizing and redefining spaces is necessary often! Check back to see what we design for Holiday 2007.

MMMM

 
My bedroom. A haven of luscious pillows, high thread counts, and enough comfort for a king. or, Queen!

Guest room? Office? Both!

 

Need a change?

 I flipped my guest bedroom around to facilitate a home office with more room and style. You can come spend the night and browse the internet on our wireless! In style, at that.

Tips For a Smooth Household
by Kate Gosselin
Kate is the star of Jon and Kate + 8 on TLC. She is so great. I like her tips for life:
Tip #1 Organize
As a mother of sextuplets and twins, one of the best methods for keeping a family organized is lists! No one has the memory of an elephant! Keep a constant running list of "To Dos" and then cross things off as they are completed! My to-do lists consists of meals for the week, which loads of laundry need to be done, and which parts of the house needs attention. Lists will keep you and your family organized.
Tip: If you are an Internet person, an online calendar might work for you. Problem is, you lose the joy of crossing off items.
Tip: Prepare for Outings
Plan ahead! If outings are well thought out in advance, it will allow for a better time for all! Always take plenty of drinks, snacks, clothing and supplies. Make a mental plan of how the day will unfold and then adjust it as necessary!
Note: this includes a camera if you are a doting, sentimental mommy like me. you'll feel better with a camera.

Tip :Count Your Blessings
On days that your role as mom seems mundane and pointless and repetitive(we all have those), remember to count your blessings! Take a moment, see all that is positive in your life and the life of your children and it will give you that boost that you need!

Tip: Provide Order
A schedule will help everyone in the family. It removes the guesswork and a lot of frustration. It allows the things that need to get done to get done because life becomes somewhat predictable.
Note: this is the same tip as the first, but she is so organized she had to have this tip twice. funny.

Jewelry Organizing

 
Jewelry boxes don't always keep necklaces untangled. I used a French Bulletin Board and stick pins to keep my favorite pieces untangled. It's also a nice way to see your collection so that you can get dressed more quickly. Sometimes you can start with the necklace, then find an outfit to wear for the day.

Fall Table

 
For a total of $1.50 for the baby pumpkins, and some fall colors on the palette, table is ready for Fall. Browns and beiges mix well with orange and green!

Fall is falling

How do we decorate for fall? Oranges, reds, browns. Fabulous. Make a statement for your front door with inexpensive pumpkins, bales of hay. Tip: Don't carve pumpkins until 5 days before Halloween. They tend to rot easily.
Indoor decor: Browns, tans, beige. This is hard for me-I love the bright colors. Let's all get ready for the holidays by starting with reds and browns, then we can shift to reds and greens!
Happy fall, yall!

fall dwelling well

So a certain company, i'll call them "pottery farm" for privacy-i take lots of hints from them-they are doing lots of pewter and natural items for fall.
that means decorate with pine cones, sticks, and any silver or pewter pieces you have. colors are all neutral.
i'm about to do my fall tablescape and will post photos when i'm done.
i replaced my daisies on my front door with sunflowers and mums-fall flowers for sure.
you can decorate for fall the least expensive of all the seasons-think outdoors, things you find around your house.
good luck with your fall decor! call me if you have questions!

you can dwell well while traveling

Even when you travel, you can search for signs of dwelling well, as well as learning tips. This bed looks perfect, and they don't have 100 pillows on it. The right touch. The perfect contrast of reds, yellow, and then brown. No heavy curtains, but upholstered window treatments that do not match the bedding, but tie into the same color scheme.
This room Dwells Well because it is not matchy matchy, not over done, and is very relaxed.
Great job, Maison Louisiane in Natchitoches, LA!

flowers are so relaxing-they are a thing of beauty. surround yourself in flowers and beauty and you will be dwelling well.

pillows, pillows, pillows can spice up anything-a bed, a floorspace, a chair. these are my guest bed pillows, and they are daring but fun.

dwell well for your boring mirror

my mirror was boring. so i hung a frame upon it. this frame was discovered in the hurricane (ryn, i have it for you) and it makes my bathroom mirror way more exciting. i hung some ribbon, and there it is. a great, inexpensive subsitute for a standard mirror in any home/bathroom.

dwelling well with necklaces

need a way to find your funky necklaces, as well as have some colorful art in your bed/bathroom......also keeps them untangled! what i did was purchase a decorative hook, and hang my beauties on it. of course, it's tempting to baby kate, but she knows they are mommy's. helps me get dressed each morning-i can see most of my collection, and don't have to dig through a drawer to untangle them.

did you dwell well this week? this could mean some small steps, like gardening, or cleaning out that closet you don't want to tackle.
dwelling well is hard work-and it needs to be tackled. if you are scared, let me know and i can advise and coach.
moving soon? let me know and i can give some good tips on packing well and unpacking efficiently.

how do you dwell well with kids?
you have to ask for help. distribute chores among family. if you have no family, a maid is a necessity for sanity.
if laundry is the problem, try the drop off service at the local, friendly laundromat. it's a blessing. i've done it, and it's amazing.
paper plates never hurt.
you can dwell well-it's just about getting creative!