Displaying Photos in Your Home

Hi everyone.

I'm back! And I apologize to everyone for not posting anything for a while.

I just got back from Vegas and I took lots of pictures. I decided to print some of them, and then I realized that I haven't printed any pictures since I got my digital camera. Which was over four years ago. Yikes.

So I looked through all my travel pictures and picked the best of the bunch. I went onto the Costco website to upload them all, and let me tell you, their photo department is awesome. I uploaded my pics from Europe, the cruise to the Caribbean, and Vegas. It was super easy.

Since I don't have any art hanging on my walls at home, I decided to print some of these photos in black and white and enlarge them to 8"x10". On the website, you can select the black and white option, and you can also crop your pictures. I found this to be very useful since I don't have Photoshop, and some of my pictures had random people walking into the shot.

Check out this link to the Better Homes and Gardens article, '12 ways to display art'

http://www.bhg.com/decorating/home-accessories/wall-art/12-ways-to-display-art

I personally like the one in this photo. You can use any flat surface to hang your art and photos. If you don't have any room anywhere else, why not hang them in the staircase? Notice how all the frames are black, silver or white? The photographs/art are black and white or muted colours.

If you look at all of the pictures in the article, you'll see that every room has a colour scheme, and so does the artwork.

For good looking photos, look up an online tutorial on how to take better photos. There is a good guide on the Etsy website: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shop-makeover-series-feature-friendly-photos-3222/

It's more geared towards sellers but the tips can be used in your personal photography.

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to hang your own photos.

Recession Decorating

I don't know about you, but I've been feeling the recession lately. Since I got laid off from my second job, I really haven't been able to afford any 'wants', but only the things I need. For example, I would love to keep up with the renovations on our house, but we just can't afford to do that right now. So I thought of some little changes that I can make with no money. That's right, $0.

Reduce clutter
Cleaning is free. A clean space makes you feel more serene. If you're like me, and have way too much stuff, you might want to try storing some of it. Remember that less is more. Make sure your chachkas have a common theme, and sort them by color and style. If you have something you no longer use or even look at, then pack it up and put it away.

Have a garage sale
If you have no cash, one way to get some money is by selling your old junk that you just stored away. Every time I clean my closet, I find something that I haven't worn for a while and I pack it up. If it's really nice, I take it to my local upscale consignment store Kreme Boutique. If not, I'll sell it at a garage sale in the spring. Same goes for your old decor. I have a lot of decor that is, shall we say 'expired'.

Get free stuff
Go on kijiji.ca and check out the free listings. You might find an old dresser, desk or shelf that someone is giving away for free if you just pick it up. It might need a good cleaning and painting, but hey, it's free.
You could also try driving around town and see if someone left something out on their lawn with the sign 'free' in front. I scored a super cool telephone desk from someone in my old neighbourhood.
If you're really adventurous, you can try dumpster diving. But make sure you don't break any laws and that you're not tresspassing on private property.

Reuse
Check out your storage or dingy basement and see if you have ugly pieces of furniture hiding in the dark. I have an old dresser in the basement, and I plan on painting it with white paint that I already have and using it to store my linens, since we don't have a linen closet at the moment. If you have a chair; paint it and upholster it. It's easy to upholster a chair and you don't need any special tools. If you don't have new fabric, you can cut up an old curtain, tablecloth or an extra large shirt, and use that instead.

Rearrange
A new floor plan might be just what you need to make your space feel new. Look around and see if your furniture fits where it is. Can you walk around comfortably in the space? Try moving your sofa to a different wall, or change the direction of your dining room table.
Do you have any artwork? Why not change it up. My mother has had the same paintings in her house for years, and sometimes I just get sick of looking at them. If you don't have new artwork, why not take some out, and change the placement of the rest.

For the outdoors this spring
I know spring feels like a long ways away, but I'm already thinking ahead.
If you don't have money to plant any more flowers or buy more garden gnomes, don't worry. Make sure your garden is free of weeds, and think about transplanting. I planted gladiolas last summer and they didn't quite come out the way I wanted them to, so this spring I'm going to move them into different clusters.
Check the front of your house and clean your windows and doors. Get rid of cobwebs and sweep your front steps. Mow the lawn.
If you have leftover paint, do touch ups on your fence or paint your front door a vibrant color.

Let me know if you have other ideas.