5 Rules to Creating an Organized Life

Posted on February 4, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

These are my rules for getting organized in 2010. I’m pretty sure they will be edited along the line, but for now, this is what I’m going with…

1. ) If you don’t love it or need it….give it or throw it away. Period. Be choosy about the things you surround yourself with. The things you love are what make your house a home – if you have a problem letting go, ask yourself if it makes your home more beautiful or does it have sentimental value to you. If it’s yes to either…keep it. If it’s no…pitch it. Can’t decide in 5 seconds? Pitch.

When determining if it’s something you “need”, ask yourself when the last time was that you used it. If it hasn’t been used in the last year…you don’t need it. Go through whatever you’re cleaning out and be faithful to these two rules. Go back a week later and see if there is anything else you can let go. I have one exception: I’m not letting go of my Calvin Kliens until I can fit into them again. I need them for inspiration

2. Create a place for everything and put it back in its place immediately after using it. My mother used to drive me nuts. In retrospect, I think I drove her more nuts. She knew the minute that something was missing from its place. Our house was never cluttered unless you visited my room. I now get it. It needs to become a way of life. Pick it up – put it back. Pretty simple, but life changing when put into action.

3. Organize NOW, worry about pretty later. This is particularly difficult for me. So incredibly difficult, in fact, I’ve come to realize I’ve used it as a crutch. In my anal little mind, I want everything organized AND looking beautiful. In fact, it drives me out of my mind so much to see that I have old vinyl floors in my pantry and laundry room, that in the past, I didn’t organize or keep up with them because I knew they would still look ugly. In fact, I applied that concept to most of my home which definitely needs a makeover. The good news is to stay tuned because there will be lots of before and after pictures of my home along the way. Here’s two examples of before and after of areas in my house. The Guest Bath The Pink Bath There is so much left to do, but I’m thinking this will be so much fun to share with you!

I finally organized my laundry room last month in spite of its ugliness and I swear to you it feels as good as losing 20 lbs. The areas still need a new floor and coat of paint, but that will be phase II. I did put up a little plaque, fabric bins and an inexpensive valance, but I can now live with it until phase II. The point here is to quit making excuses and get rid of the crap. Here’s a news flash: The crap makes it uglier. Split organization and decorating into phases if you have to, just get started.

4. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. The truth is, it doesn’t have to cost ANYThing to get organized and if you have a budget of zero, you will actually save money by getting organized. It’s amazing to find what you can save and what you can find. The point here is the same as in rule 3 … just do it. I will have a small budget; keeping an eye out for items that I already own and inexpensive bins and such to buy that will hold and store items. The goal is to find storage items will serve a purpose and yes, look beautiful. I am a firm believer that beauty should strive to be functional and of course everyone should have beauty in their life.

5. Do something once a week. The key to creating an organized life is to do something consciously towards it every day and actively towards it every week until you have an organized life. Every day you’ll be putting things in their rightful place and every week, you should pick a new area of your life to tackle. It might be a drawer, a paper trail or the garage. The point here is taking on a project each week, however big or small, brings you one step closer to your goal.

Tomorrow I’ll show you a couple of my projects from last month…my purse and my trunk. xoxoxo

Hang a Basket for When Minutes Count

Posted on November 12, 2009 by DishOnDesignGal

Out the Door Basket

Here’s a great idea for your home. Have you ever ran out the door and suddenly realized you need an umbrella? Or how about when you do the final “look” into the mirror and discover that your favorite four legged friend has shed all over your shirt or jacket? Chances are you’ve then wasted precious moments locating an umbrella or lint brush.

Here’s a simple solution: Keep a basket hung on a door or a decorative hook next to the door you use when leaving the house. Fill it with items such as a folding umbrella, lint brush, mints, tissues, etc. You’ll be glad you did when minutes count! xoxox

Put your Baskets to Work!

Posted on November 2, 2009 by DishOnDesignGal

Step Basket from Ballard Designs

How often do you work around the home and as you get to one room - you think of something that you needed from the room you were just in. Apparently, it happens to lots of us, because somewhere along the line, someone with a two story home was inspired to create a nifty little basket such as the one above just for stairs. This basket is perfect to store household items that need to be carried on your next trip up. Below are a few more baskets that you can use in your daily routine to save you both time and aggravation.

Carry a Basket from Room to Room

Designate a basket (preferrably with handles) as your room to room basket. Use it to carry items such as a cell phone, cordless phone, pen, notepad and anything that you need to have with you as you go from room to room.

Home to Car Basket

Take the basket idea a step further and put to work one such as this from the Container Store. Carry it with you every time you go from home, to the car and back to home again. Store it near the door you’ll use as you head to your car and fill it with items that need to be returned for credit, a water bottle, snacks, a shopping list, etc. Baskets are a great way to help you keep your busy life on track.

Have a great day! xoxox

Friday’s Food: The Yogurt Experiment

Posted on October 23, 2009 by DishOnDesignGal

The Yogurt Experiment

Yes, yes, I know this is a blog about Decorating, but part of making your house a home, is filling it with yummy food and fabulous smells…so with that in mind, I’m starting a new tradition of blogging about food on Fridays. Before I do though, you need to know the following…

Disclaimer: It’s true…I am not a food expert. In fact, some may cynically say it’s a miracle my kids somehow survived their teenage years on fast food, boxed entrees and cheesy meat loaf pie. Some may even smirk as I say they grew up to be smart, healthy and charming young adults…yet that’s true too. I will admit…some of the food back then was good, in fact, most of it tasted good - It just wasn’t really good FOR you. And yes, some of it was just plain bad. The good news is I’ve been exploring organic, trying to eat healthy and am actually enjoying my kitchen. This is especially good because although the kids are just about out of the house and on their own, food is the quickest way to get them to visit! Anyway, the point here is…I am not a food expert!

Come visit with me on Fridays and my guess is you’ll do one of two things: 1) shake your head in sad disbelief that anyone could actually be this uneducated about food or 2) find yourself right along with me, saying…”who knew!” or “I can do that too!”.

If you happen to fall in that first category, please don’t be a judge and jury - I’m forty something now and don’t have time for it…but please do join the conversation and share your expertise and helpful ideas. On the other hand, If you’re an explorer like me, feel free to ask any questions (There is no such thing as a stupid question by the way!) and let me know if you’ve tried something I shared! I’d love to hear from all of you

YOGURT FROM SCRATCH a work in progress I was visiting a friend in Florida a few weeks back who was making her own yogurt and I was intrigued. Call me sheltered, I didn’t know people made their own yogurt. It was so delicious and she used it in so many healthy ways, that I decided to try it last weekend! It’s actually quite simple and my first batch turned out simply yummy! I tripled the recipe and made enough to share with my children and friends. You’ll find that different things will work for you, so I’ll share what I did and alternatives that I’ve read about.

You’ll Need:

: Containers for the Yogurt

Containers to store the yogurt when finished. Ideally, use glass jars that you might normally throw away or recycle, such as those for spaghetti sauce, pickles, baby food etc. You also could use plastic containers from peanut butter, ricotta cheese, yogurt, etc… I was impatient and didn’t have any on hand, so I purchased the 16 oz wide mouth ball containers at Meijer’s and really liked them – the wide mouth is easy to clean! Only thing is that unless you are giving them away as a gift, it can get costly if you don’t get them back to use again.

Thermometer that will register 180 degrees. Preferably (but not necessary) with clip for edge of pot. A meat thermometer will also work.

Candy Thermometor with Clip

Single Large P0t or Double Pot. Any large pot works well, but if you find that your milk burns on the bottom as it heats to 180 degrees, use a double boiler or simply a smaller pot inside a larger pot filled with water to protect the bottom. Note: if you find that the milk is thickening/burning on the bottom of the pot, do not scrape; simply turn the heat down a bit. Scraping the bottom will cause your yogurt to taste burnt. That’s bad!

Organic from Walmart

½ Gallon of Milk. I used Horizons Organic Reduced Fat Milk with DHA Omega-3 which is supposed to be good for your heart, brain and eyes.

Whole Foods has Yogurtmet

Yogurtmet and/or yogurt with live cultures. Per ½ gallon you’ll need either 2 packets of Yogurtmet, 6 Tablespoons of Yogurt with live cultures (can use yogurt from previous homemade batch once you’ve made some) or 1 packet + 3 TBL of Yogurt with live cultures, which is what I used. Note: Yogurmet can be found in the refrigerator/yogurt section of whole foods or other healthy food co-ops.

DIRECTIONS

On stovetop, heat milk on high to 180 degrees. Stir whenever you walk by it and remove any film that develops on the top with a paper towel
Remove from heat and cool to 108-112 degrees It will probably take about 40 minutes or so to cool, so check in 20 minutes and then every 10 minutes or so. (I’ve read that you can place pan in a sink of cool water to quicken process. I did NOT try this)
Once you get to the cooled temperature, put a cup or two of the milk in a bowl and stir in the yogurtmet/live yogurt until dissolved/blended and then stir back into the pot
Pour milk mixture into containers and cover with lids

If you have a gas stove (lucky you)…Place the jars into the stove with the pilot light lit.

If you don’t have a gas stove…

Place the jars on a heating pad (on top of a cutting board to protect counter) and cover jars with towel to keep heat in – just make sure it’s an old fashioned one that doesn’t have an automatic shut off feature, which is what mine had. Unfortunately, I made my yogurt late at night and was going to put it in the fridge in the morning. The automatic shut off was worse than having a newborn. Not a good nights sleep – haha!

I have read that you could do this as well.

Place in oven with light on. I am trying this next, and will check the temperature after a few hours to see if it is warm enough
Leave yogurt in pot and place inside larger pot with warm water and change the water occasionally; making sure to cover the pot to keep heat in and protect from dust.
Place jars on a warming plate.

Regardless of your warming choice above, leave jars for 7 hours and then place in refrigerator. You could do it for as little as 5 hours and as many as 9 hours, but the longer they are left to warm, the thicker the yogurt will get AND the tangier it will get. You want to keep it at a temperature between 95 degrees to 106 degrees. 7 hours is a good starting point and you can adjust the next batch accordingly. Also, yogurt will thicken additionally in the refrigerator.

Tip: Place in the back of refrigerator which is usually the coolest. Yogurt will be ready to eat in 4 hours.

Tips for Eating:

You can sweeten the yogurt with a bit of honey and eat with oatmeal, fruit, granola and more.

Add a bit of honey and jam for a fruity taste.
Add finely shaved cucumber (removing as much water as possible before adding to yogurt) to create simple riata sauce that you can eat with spicy foods to calm the heat.
Mix with hot cheesy potatoes as an alternative to sour cream
Top butter nut squash or sweet potatoes with yogurt drizzled with honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Put in blender with fruit and a touch of for a smoothie

I’ve heard that it’s best to purchase honey that was made in your region because honey contains natural anti-bodies to help fight illnesses and you want to have anti bodies for your particular area. Just an interesting tidbit that I learned!

Enjoy xoxox

Quick Tricks for Halloween Treats!

Posted on October 31, 2008 by DishOnDesignGal

If you’re like us and have been too busy to get into the spirit of things, here’s a few suggestions to get back your Halloween Mojo!

Grab a bag of Candy Corn, Mix with a cup of Dry Roasted Peanuts and put in a favorite crystal dish on top of a coffee table for visiting goblins. Warning: Can be addictive.

Dig up a mask (we know you have one somewhere!) and greet the little devils and princesses at your front door for some instant fun! Guaranteed to make someone smile.

Light some candles around the house for some “spooky” shadows and set the mood for a relaxing evening at home!

Go to http://www.ez-tracks.com/Halloween.html to download some free Halloween Sounds and Music – sure to get you in the spirit! Note: This is not an endorsement of this site - we’ve never actually downloaded from here!

Mix up a Pumpkin Martini just for you – you deserve it! Jayne and I are having one right now! Okay, not really, but we would like to having be one! Happy Halloween! Here’s the Recipe from www.drinkoftheday.com

Have a fun and safe weekend!

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Posted on October 13, 2008 by DishOnDesignGal

“Decorators should never insist on throwing out everything the client has. Even when they are far from perfect they add personality”

~Billy Baldwin

This quote brings to mind, my very first residential client many years ago named Don. He was a bachelor in his 60′s and had spent many years taking care of his aging mother. After she passed away, he decided to move into a one bedroom condominium and wanted a contemporary look that was fresh and reflected his personality. Everything was to be new and with $25,000.00 cash in hand to shop, it was a young designers dream!

Of course I had a vision for the space and he trusted me with any decisions and purchases I made for him. As a young designer, I prided myself on my eye for what worked and what didn’t and was very proud of the end result. On move in day, he had tears in eye as he walked in and saw his new home. it was even better than he had dreamed and I was thrilled that he was so happy – after all, that’s what it’s all about!

Then he said “Amy, I have one more thing for you to do – find a place for this. He handed me a very bad silk version of a red rose. Three red roses, in fact, that may have even been plastic. The look on my face was one of a deer in headlights. Are you kidding me? The entire house was done in jewel tones and the primary color of a red rose was definately not in the color scheme. “These are moms”, he said “and she treasured them- they need to be someplace special”.

It was a defining moment in my young career, because I realized then, that it’s not about creating a show place, but creating a home. For Don, the roses made his house a home. I could have hidden them in bedroom, or tucked them into a corner, but I put them on a prominent shelf in the living room so that he would see them every day. In the end, it’s not about what is beautiful to the designer, but what is beautiful to you. I am grateful for that lesson early on.

Update: Jayne wants to add that she made all the fabulous floral arrangements (she had a custom floral design business at the time) and that it was after she brought in and placed all her BEAUTIFUL arrangements, that he brought out the plastic or silk red roses. You should have seen the look on her face – haha!

Get Inspired by Sex and the City

Posted on May 30, 2008 by DishOnDesignGal

I amazingly had never watched Sex and the City until last year. Thanks to my DVR, I have now seen every single episode. Imagine how excited I was when Ashley (my daughter) and I each won 2 tickets for the early screening of Sex and the City last night! Personally, I was excited just to have a girls night out. She on the other hand was excited about that too, but was equally as excited about the mandatory, ‘I have nothing to wear’. pre-screening shopping marathon that was necessary in order to attend the event.

As luck would have it, she found the perfect pair of hot pink 5″ pink stillettos with a fab flower atop each toe that perfectly matched her pink chiffon knee length new dress. I admit that for a very brief moment I had a flashback to my twenties and slipped a pink stilletto onto my freshly manicured toes. WARNING: If you haven’t worn stillettos in twenty years – you probably shouldn’t wear them in this century – trust me they are dangerous. Did I really once dance in these till the wee hours at Studio 54? That’s another story, but, I do think believe that Ashley and I have gone full circle. I pulled out my pink vintage purse that I bought in the NYC village flea market before she was born and instead of rolling her eyes, she actually carried it to the preview. For those of you with teenage daughters – there is hope for you yet!

So, back to the movie… Did I say it was Fabulous? Here’s my review: I LOVED IT! My plan was to keep an eye on the amazing interiors I would surely see and then report back to you. I don’t think I saw any. I was so wrapped up in the girlfriends, steamy scenes, stylish clothes and of course the amazing shoes, that I swear they didn’t show any interiors. you’ll have to tell me if I missed something

Since I sadly have nothing to report regarding the inside of their homes, the philosopher in me feels compelled to encourage you to find inspiration for yourself and your home through Carrie and the girls. Note: Some of what I write below will make more sense after you have watched the Movie. Here are my thoughts…

Rekindle a Friendship. When I won the tickets to Sex and the City, something propelled me to call a friend that I dearly love, but whom I hadn’t called in a shamefully long time. She asked me as we were driving to the theatre, why I asked her when she had never seen a Sex and the City episode. I answered simply and honestly – “because I missed you”. It was like we had never missed a beat. It’s those kinds of friends; the one’s who love you inspite of yourself, that you should call.

Learn from Carrie: Style is not determined by Budget. It’s true. You’ve seen Decorate on a Dime and Shabby Chic. Find an inspiration picture. Study the lines (curvy, ornamental, sleek, etc.), note the patterns, explore the use of texture and use that as a guideline for shopping. Style is about knowing the attributes that make a room beautiful. It’s NOT about the label.

Honor the Samantha in You. Most of us are so busy working, nurturing others, and taking care of our homes that we forget out ourselves. You may even say that we ‘lose’ ourselves. I ask you this – if we don’t honor who we are, who will? Make YOU a priority in your life!

Forgive like Miranda. Forgiveness can be hard. Let’s face it, it’s easier to stay mad than to forgive. But life is too short to carry the weight of anger and hate. Try to forgive someone who has hurt you. It doesn’t mean you have to like them or even have a relationship with them, but yours will be a much lighter load and you may even find that forgiveness can change your life for the good.

Be a Charlotte. Do you ever look at someone who is ‘always’ happy and want to slap them? Is anyone ever really that happy? The truth is no. But the other truth is that happiness is a choice. You can choose to see the glass half empty or half full. You can be a pessimist or an optimist. You can CHOOSE to be happy or choose to be sad. Sad has it moments, and sometimes we need to be sad – but if you remember to choose happy most of the time – it’s a much better life!

Enjoy the Movie! I think you are going to LOVE it!

Feng Shui and The Secret; Coincidence or Reality?

Posted on February 21, 2008 by DishOnDesignGal

As an Interior Designer I felt compelled several years ago to learn more about Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway) and took a class taught by Daniel David Kennedy, author of Feng Shui Tips for a Better Life. As a woman and entrepreneur, I am intrigued by the principles of The Secret, written by Rhonda Byrne, and recently discussed by Oprah and several successful woman who have applied it to their lives. What occured to me as I drove to the office this morning, is that both actually have a lot in common. If you aren’t familiar with either, I think they are both worth exploring. Here are my interpretations of each, how they relate to each other and how they might improve your home and your happiness.

Feng Shui is said to be a powerful, effective method of changing your environment to improve your life. Kennedy teaches a form of Feng Shui that focuses on the Ba-Gua, which according to him, “lets you identify 9 important areas of your home which relate directly to you. These include Wealth, Marriage, Career, and others.” Feng Shui teaches you to examine your space and offers simple changes (or “cures”) that can transform the energy (ch’i) of your home, enhancing your peace and harmony. Those that have implemented ‘cures’ often report increased income, improved health and relationships.

Interestingly, major corporations often incorporate Feng Shui into their offices and landscape – you just don’t realize it. If you see a fountain in the front of a building, beautiful fish tank in the lobby, or even artwork portraying fish or water, it may not be just because they look nice.

My interpretation of Feng Shui is this: It’s about examining your surroundings, knowing what doesn’t ‘feel’ right within your home, using simple principles to create harmony and postive energy, and just as importantly; making purposeful changes with the intention of turning a negative area of your life into a postive one.

Do I apply it to my home? Not as much as I would like, but here’s my Feng Shui story. Years ago, my husband and I decided to sell our first home and move with our children to another school district. The 3 kids and I moved into my mother’s house until the house sold so that theycould enroll in the new schools. My husband stayed at the house with the dog to finish some improvements until it sold.

At the time, I was taking Kennedy’s class, and decided to apply what I learned by painting the front door red with the intention of inviting happiness and intending a quick sale. I should add that my husband was not a happy camper when he drove down the street and saw that red door. Nope, not happy at all. Until that is…a few weeks later, someone drove down the street checking out the area and asked him if the house was for sale. In a nutshell, the house was never listed, we got our exact asking price, my husband fell in love with that red door and my mother and I are still speaking. Coincidence? You make the call, but I think intentions are very powerful and best of all they are free.

The Secret, as it applies to life is much the same. My interpretation of the basic principle of The Secret goes like this: Your thoughts and actions create energy that is either positive or negative. As you think, thoughts are sent into the universe and become your reality. Therefore, if you express gratitude daily; whether out loud or on paper and include statements of gratitude for what you specifically intend to come your way, you will be creating that reality.

Here is my experience with the principles of the secret. Seven or more years ago, I created a collage with pictures of things I wished for, was attracted to or represented the life I desired. I put it away when complete, but several years later I pulled it out and was amazed to see how many things became my reality. One example in particular stands out. I had purposefully included the word Oprah within my collage. I wanted to meet her and be on her show. Because of a couple of ‘coincidences’, I was actually invited to the show with Dr. Phil and was wired for sound as I sat in the audience. Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidence, but I do believe in the power of intention.

Feng Shui and The Secret, in my experience are intriguing and definately worth exploring. It’s inexpensive and for some it can be lifechanging. At the very least, I promise that you’ll be happier just by the simple acts of expressing gratitude and stating positive intentions every day.

Feng Shui Tips for a Better Life The Secret

What is Interior Decorating?

Posted on February 8, 2008 by DishOnDesignGal

I was researching the word decorating for a project I’m working on today and realized that there are many definitions for Decorating which all say in so many words, something like Interior Decoration is the art of making a space beautiful and placing furniture in a way that functions well within that space, blah, blah, blah. And while that is all said and true, what occured to me is that Interior is so much more. So, of course I had to write my own definition. Here it is…

“Interior Decorating is the endeavor of creating and implementing a plan to make a house into a home. It’s the art of creating a home that is functional, beautiful and filled with things that you love; ultimately, it’s about creating a haven that embraces you, your lifestyle, and your spirit.”

What do you think? One of my most read articles is Making a House a Home (you can find it in our Design Tips and Advice category). I’d love to hear if you agree with my definition or have one of your own! Happy Decorating!