CASEY PURVIS
by Casey Purvis
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ecorating a home can be intimidating. Couple the intimidation factor with budgets so tight that Abraham Lincoln is squealing for mercy in our wallets, and the situation could turn into a crisis in which the would-be decorator is lying in the middle of the living-room floor, staring at the ceiling in defeat. The purpose of this article is to restore hope to the color- and checkbook-challenged. Decorating is a process. You don’t have to do everything at once. Do what you can, when you can. Hammer out a realistic budget for yourself and be patient. I’m not a professional decorator. I simply enjoy an appealing environment. I have a lot to do on limited funds, and I have learned through trial, error and the sheer joy of experimentation. Here are some simple and inexpensive ways to decorate while maintaining your sanity. • Clean the clutter and get organized first. Organization is the necessary first step to creating a beckoning environment. Don’t know how to organize? I recommend reading “Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life” (Sasquatch Books, 2006, $19.95) by Laura Leist. • Identify your personal style. What colors make you
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feel good? What type of furniture do you gravitate to? Figure this out and go with it. Paint is the cheapest way to repurpose an outdated piece of furniture. Take it a step further and put new knobs and drawer pulls on your repainted masterpiece. Questions? Most paint stores have experts who can walk you through the process. I have loved the results of my furniture painting experiments. If in the end you hate the color, you can easily repaint. Love vintage items, but hate the price tag? Think consignment! Consignment stores often carry a little or a lot of everything and are a blast to browse. It’s like having visitation privileges for every era of the 20th century. I have bought lamps, furniture and ceramics at these stores. I’ll bet there’s at least one in your neighborhood. Go online to find a store in your area. Repaint boring walls. If you are confused over color schemes, many paint stores offer color palettes that flow well together. Get a sample size of several paints and try out the colors in a particular area before making a commitment. The experts at the paint stores can point out different decorative painting techniques once you’ve gotten comfortable with the basics. Keep an open mind on road trips. I’ve bought adorable kitchen kitsch at a New Orleans French Market booth for $12. Flea markets can be amazing idea banks, too. I’ve seen old doors repurposed into tables for sale at a local flea market. What a great way to recycle! Decorating, like life, should be a journey. Make it fun. Make it about you. Godspeed, and happy (bargain) hunting!
Recommended Consignment Stores (by no means exhaustive):
Repeat Street – 626 Ridgewood Road, Ridgeland 601-605-9393 repeatstreet.net The Orange Peel – 422 Mitchell Ave., 601-3649977 From Our House to Yours – 830 Wilson Drive, Suite E, Ridgeland, 601-956-1818 From Me to You – 6080 Old Brandon Road, Suite B, Brandon, 601-939-2326 Forget Me Nots – 204 E. Government St., Brandon, 601-824-9766 Old House Depot – 639 Monroe St., 601-592-6200 Also try thriftstores N.U.T.S (114 Millsaps Ave., 601-355-7458), Salvation Army (110 Presto Lane, 601982-4881), as well as garage sales.
SHERRY-LOIS WALLACE
by Sherry-Lois Wallace
November 16 - 22, 2011
A candle-lit bath can help you relax and unwind from a stress-filled day.
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etween traveling for work, phone calls, emails and a personal life, my day usually ends with me sitting in bed with a laptop attempting to catch up. The most relaxing thing to me is going to the spa and having a massage and
pedicure. My sister is an esthetician, so her specialty is spa services such as facials, manicures and pedicures. I don’t bother her to perform any of her services on me, and my busy schedule sometimes doesn’t allow the time to let someone else pamper
me. So I have created a spa atmosphere in my home. It is possible to transform your bathroom into an oasis of peace and tranquility. Some people feel that between work, family obligations, after-school projects and life in general, there is no way to squeeze in a spa moment at home, especially if you have children or spouses eagerly waiting for you outside the door every time you go into the bathroom. It starts with blocking at least 30 minutes or an hour in your week to have a “spa day.” After you’ve selected your spa day, decorate your bathroom with scented candles that will help make a relaxing setting. I usually turn the lights off in the bathroom, close the door and soak in the tub by candlelight. Lavender, jasmine or clean linen are soothing scents, as well as citrusscented candles such as pink grapefruit. Pick scented shower gels that will blend well with your scented candles. If you don’t have a radio in your bath-
room, legally download some soft music to your phone and listen to relaxing music while you soak. If you don’t have a garden tub with jets, invest in a jetted bath mat that goes in the bottom of your tub and provides massaging bubbles. Also, golfball-sized bath balls produce a nice fizz in your bathwater and release a light scent. Purchase a manicure/pedicure set and pumice stones to do a mani-pedi while you’re in the tub. You can buff your feet and heels while they are softened from soaking in the water. If you don’t have time to dedicate 30 to 60 minutes to yourself once a week, then use your bath time as a mini-spa time. Even in 10 minutes, you can bathe by candlelight. A flickering candle flame and calming aroma will relax you whether you’re hopping in the shower to start your day, or unwinding after you come home. During that small window of time, you can enjoy the hot water hitting your body, the smell of your candle and a mind free from clutter and stress.