Interior Design: not just for the pros.

The living room was looking a little drab the other day. Less than functional, and it was time for a change. I need to change it around so that it was fresh. I was not buying furniture online, it was time to rearrange. Not to say there aren't a few pieces of furniture that I am drooling over, but we are decorating on a budget, and sometimes you just need to move the furniture around for a fresh perspective. So I cleared out the room, mostly, and cleaned the area. I brought the couch back in first and placed it in a different location. Already I could see what a difference it was going to make. With a few more small moves, and perfect placement of the throw rug I had a brand new living room.
Interior design is not only for professionals, this simple transformation made my day. When M got home from work he noticed immediately and loved it! And since the day that I changed the furniture around, we have used the living room more than any other room in the house! It went from a room that we did not like, or use (wasted space) to the best sitting area in the house.
So next time your space looks a little dull, try something new. A different layout might be exactly what you need. Don't let that couch stick to the wall, try moving it out in the middle of the room. Couple it with an antique trunk, and a modern end table, perhaps you will be surprised with your eclectic look. Move that furniture around and get a completely new look, it is worth the effort.

Settling In

Wow! What a lot of boxes. We had about 5 people come over and pick up boxes and packing paper. I think we are finally rid of all of it. I have not unpacked my quilting fabric, and it sits in 6 big boxes in the back room that we are using as staging as we rearrange all of our furniture. The craft room is going to have to wait until ONE we make some shelves, and TWO when M goes back to work.

Our days now are filled with swimming and organizing and throwing away a ton of junk. One of the most important lessons we have learned from this move is SPEND MORE THAN ONE DAY PREPARING FOR THE MOVE. Even though someone came in and packed our stuff and moved it 13 hours south, we still had a lot of junk. So we have dropped off items at the Goodwill for 5 days straight, I think they know us by name now.

The good news is that Nilla is really having a nice time swimming in the pool, and of course taking naps on the plants. I guess it is more comfortable than the dirt. I don't blame her.

We are going to the beach in the morning then we have to prepare for family coming in for the weekend. Busy, busy.

Schools Out for Summer

School is out for summer break, and the count down to our move to Florida continues. The official count is 10 days. The list of things to do is growing faster than I care to think about. The movers are scheduled, the truck is coming, and we are going to be gone in a blink of an eye. In the meantime, I have 7 guests arriving for M's graduation. The culmination of 10 long years of hard work. They will be helpful in the planning of our party that is going to be on Saturday. The guest list surged to 80, and we have 50 responses in the positive so far.
We will be making the food, with the exceptions of a few neighbors that are bring over some goodies to eat.
The menu so far is looking good. I have narrowed it down to the following.

Caprese skewers (mini moz ball, cherry tomato, basil leaf with a balsamic vinaigrette)
hummus with pita
salmon mousse on crackers
Fruit Plate
Chocolate fountain
Cheese Plate (or Brie Carmel Nuts Bake and serve with)
grown-up ham and cheese sandwiches
grilled shrimp with spicy tamarind dip
Cake
The grocery list is made, and now we just have to go to the store and make all the appetizers, then party down!
I hope that we can pull it off. I will have my camera and be clicking away. Our last party in Hamilton Wood.