#DECORATING--SPRING SPRUCE UP ON A BUDGET

It’s spring! Along with the tradition of spring cleaning, many people find themselves itching to spruce up their homes this time of year. Here are a few easy and inexpensive decorating hacks.

1. Rules were meant to be broken. Today’s absolute no-no is often tomorrow’s hottest trend. So don’t be afraid to experiment, especially when it comes to paint. Remember, paint isn’t permanent. If you don’t like it, you can always repaint.

2. And speaking of rules, where is it written that ceilings have to be white? Paint your ceiling the same color as your walls, several shades lighter, or several shades darker. Or choose an accent color. Or wallpaper. Or reclaimed wood. Think of your ceiling as your fifth wall.

3. Consider painting woodwork in a contrasting color instead of white.

4. Create an accent wall with wallpaper, reclaimed wood, a contrasting paint color, a faux finish, or even a mural.

5. Mix and match contemporary furnishings and accent pieces with vintage pieces, antiques, flea market finds, craft pieces, items you’ve collected on your travels, or an eclectic combination.

6. Don’t be afraid to use bold color choices in small rooms.

7. Chandeliers are not just for dining rooms. If you love bling, consider adding a crystal chandelier to your bathroom, bedroom, or walk-in closet. On a budget? Look for faux crystal chandeliers. Even imitation crystals will sparkle, and when hung high, no one will be the wiser.

8. Bookcase shelves are for books, of course, but break up the spaces with pottery, collectibles, and framed photographs to add interest.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE--FLOWER DRYING WITH GUEST AUTHOR MJ FLOURNOY

MJ Flournoy writes romantic suspense with paranormal elements. Learn more about her and her books at her website. Today she joins us with a decorating tip.

Since I’m visiting on Wednesday, I’ll share a decorating tip. Flowers and flower arrangements are expensive, so I like to make the most of them. When you have fresh flowers, before they begin to wilt and drop their petals, take them out of the water and hang them upside down in a cool, dark place. Allow them to air dry, then gently take them down and create a flower arrangement such as this one made from flowers left from my daughter’s wedding.

The drying can take weeks or months, so be sure to hang them out of the way. I use thread strung from the ceiling of my mudroom and hang them up high so that no one will bump into them accidentally. Hanging them upside down helps the flower heads retain their shape. Be sure the flowers are not crowding each other because that will damage their shape as well. Don’t lay them on a flat surface to dry. That will cause them to have flat sides.

This arrangement was made using a small vase, glass marbles and flowers dried for several months. The roses were originally white. Now they’re an ivory or beige but made a lovely arrangement that will last for a long time. The flash makes them look darker than they really are, but the arrangement is lovely. So the next time you have flowers and want to enjoy them longer, try drying.

A Matter of Trust

Her paranormal abilities had always caused her grief. But can they save the life of a child who has been spirited away fro her parents and the life of the man she loves?

Jolie Wyngate is a middle school teacher with an extraordinary gift—or is it a curse? Throughout her life, she's never been sure. Now, when she is implicated in the disappearance of a child, the ultimate value of her powers will be put to the test.

Mac Carlson, former Navy SEAL and security expert, is tasked with rescuing the girl, Rachael Anne. From the moment he meets Jolie, his suspicious and protective nature sets its sights on her as a prime suspect. Can Jolie clear her name and gain this man's hard-won trust?

More importantly, can she save the girl before time runs out? She won't be able to do it without her psychic abilities—but Mac has a hard enough time trusting Jolie as it is, let alone trusting her powers to lead them to Rachael Anne.

As Mac and Jolie realize they have no choice but to work as a team—and as they slowly warm to each other in the process—they realize they have a new problem: the man they are after has set his sights on Jolie. Now Jolie will need all of her abilities, and all of Mac's strength and skill, to stay out of the fiend's hands and bring Rachael Anne back home.

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DECORATING WITH JEANIE - SMALL ROOM TIPS

Last week I talked about how applying color to a ceiling can make a small room appear larger. Here are five more tips for creating the illusion of a larger room.

1. Place a large mirror on the wall opposite a window. The mirror will both reflect light and create an illusion of a more spacious room.

2. If you live in an older house where doors separate halls, living room, dining room, and kitchen, remove the doors. This will create more of an open concept feel without the expense of tearing down walls.

3. Mounting curtain rods close to the ceiling will make ceilings feel higher and windows taller.

4. If you have a small dining room or eat-in kitchen space, use a glass-top table to make the room appear larger and less broken up with furniture.

5. Vertical patterns draw the eye upward. Try papering an accent wall in a vertical striped paper or paint vertical stripes on the wall. Using the same color paint but alternating a matte and semi-gloss finish will create a subtler effect but still create the illusion of height.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- GUEST DECORATOR AND AUTHOR LEA WAIT

Maine Author Lea Wait writes the Agatha-nominated Shadows Antique Print series, (Shadows at the Fair, Shadows on the Coast of Maine, Shadows on the Ivy, Shadows at the Spring Show, and Shadows of a Down East Summer) and historical novels for young people. Today she visits Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers with some great tips for decorating the walls of your home. Visit Lea at her website for more information about her and her books.  -- AP   

Any decorating magazine will give you advice on wall colors, furniture styles, carpets versus rugs, and what window treatments to use. 

Seldom mentioned, although always pictured in the rooms displayed as examples, are the paintings and prints on the walls.  Occasionally, especially when they appear in particularly unusual arrangements or frames, they are footnotes. But, generally, you are left on your own to find the perfect pictures for your walls.

So, let me give you a little advice. First, my credentials: since 1977, either part-time or full-time, I’ve been an antique print dealer. My mother was an artist; my husband is a photographer and artist. So I’ve lived with art all of my life. I buy it, I sell it, and I know how to hang it. And I can teach you enough, even in this short article, to get you started toward making the art on your walls define you as a smart, classy, intelligent person with impeccable taste.

First, here are the things you should never, ever buy or hang on your walls:

1. Art from a chain store. This includes the bin art at a photography or framing store. 

2. Any frame made of plastic or glass.

3. A reproduction of any kind, unless you are under 25 and it is a museum shop poster.

    4. Art that matches your couch or drapes.

5. Any art that you hate, for any reason.

6. Religious art – unless you are very religious, and you are going to hang it in a private part of the house. (I’m not anti-religious, and I’m also assuming your religious art is not a Leonardo da Vince or another of the great masters. If it is, pardon me. You may hang it in your dining room.)

7. Any art that is “cute.” Cute is not classy.

OK. Now, what are you going to hang? 

You have three choices. The first choice is to hang things which are not, officially, art, but which become artistic when hung together as a collection . A group of fly rods, antique or modern (but the older the better). A half dozen decorative plates. (Not with Hummels on them. Perhaps all blue and white, or brown and white.)  A collection of framed campaign buttons. You get the idea. Something that is distinctive, interesting, and that no one else will have on their wall, framed and hung well.

The second choice is to hang paintings. Paintings are generally expensive, but that doesn’t mean having your own gallery of oils or water colors is impossible. Look for paintings you love while you’re on vacation. Look at yard sales. Look at flea markets, at auctions, at antique shows. You may well have to re-frame your treasures, but they’ll be worth it if you love them. Don’t buy something assuming you’ll make a fortune. Chances are you won’t.  Keep in mind the basics: Signed paintings are worth more than unsigned. Damaged paintings can be acquired for very little, but repairs can be expensive. (Cleaning, not so much.)

You can acquire a group of, say, small 19^th century unsigned paintings of flowers and fruit (popular subjects for ladies to paint) for perhaps $50 each. Hang them as a collection and your home has a cachet like no other. Plus – you’ll have had the fun of the chase.

And as for prints, your third option: they’re perhaps the easiest to find. Check antique print dealers, “paper shows,” antique shows, and, again, flea markets, and auctions. Nineteenth and early 20^th century prints were often bound in books, so antiquarian book dealers should be on your list. Prints of astronomy, flowers, birds, shells … they’re often the ones you see in those perfect room settings in magazines, all matted and framed.

And if you’d like to know more about antique prints, and finding them, have I got a mystery series for you! My Shadows Antique Mystery Series, starring antique print dealer Maggie Summer, follows her through the world of antique print buying, selling, and collecting, as well as solving murders (not always a part of that business.)  Each chapter begins with a description of a print and its value.  Read all 5 books in the series – and you can not only decorate your walls – you can talk about them with expertise!

Great tips, Lea! Thanks so much for joining us today. Readers, have any of you decorated your walls with unique items? Let’s hear from you. -- AP

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

Jeanie Sims, our decorating editor is here today with a decorating tip of the day. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! Here’s a tip that serves a dual purpose. Whether you’d like to make a room look larger or fill it with more natural light, add a large mirror. It’s like adding another window to a room.

And you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Find a mirror at a thrift shop, and paint the frame to coordinate with your room décor. Can’t find a mirror you like? Look for an interesting picture frame and buy a mirror to fit it. Stores that sell glass also sell mirrors that they’ll cut to size for you.

And there you have it -- another great decorating tip from Jeanie! Which one of our readers will give this one a try? Post a comment to be entered in the drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- SUMMERIZE YOUR WINTER HOME

I’m sick of the snow, and I’m sick of the cold. Decorating editor Jeanie Sims is sick of the snow and cold, too. So today she’s decided we all need a little summer added to our homes, sort of a psychological trick played on winter. -- AP

You’re so right, Anastasia! So here’s what I want you all to do. Go dig out those seashells you’ve collected from the beach and have sitting down in your basement or out in your garage or shed. If you never got around to cleaning them last summer, soak them in a bucket of water with a cup or two of bleach added. Let them sit for at least five or six hours. Overnight is great.

Now scavenge up a clear glass container large enough to hold those shells. If you don’t have one, you can find inexpensive ones at the crafts store. While you’re there, pick up a small package of sand and maybe a few pieces of driftwood.

Rinse the shells in cold water and allow to dry on a towel. 

Pour the sand into the bottom of the glass container. Now arrange the shells. Use the photo for inspiration if you need some. Voila! Instant summer. Use in your bathroom, as a table centerpiece, or on a shelf in any room of your house.

Nice idea, Jeanie. I’m just not sure playing with shells will make me forget the snow and cold, but it’s worth a try. What do you think, readers? Remember to post a comment to be entered into the drawing for a book from this week's Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP