I’m sarcastic by nature, and it’s true that I do hate a lot of things. I watch a lot of decorating shows, HGTV, TLC, “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”, and over and over I hear the same word that drives me crazy: Dimensionality used as an adverb. “This fabric really gives it some dimensionality”. The word you are looking for is dimension “This fabric really gives it some dimensionality”. You can’t make something more of an adverb, we do not use the word adverby or adverbish. You can say it like it is a word, but that doesn’t make it a word.

In the 1980’s my dad had an opportunity to invest in apple computers, instead he invested in his apple orchard. That would have been the best investment we ever made, but barring that, the best investment we have made is a hammock swing. My parents bought two of these in Mexico, and I was skeptical that they would look cheesy, but they look great on our porch. The kids of course love them, I don’t know why they are so comfortable they just are. The adults even fight over them. We were going to remodel our porch, and we had to change the plan so we can still hang hammock swings. They are such a good place to read or just talk. We have never spent so much time on our porch. To get a hammock swing for less than $35, just click on the picture. They are the best investment you will ever make, except for that apple computers thing.

Tags: hammock, outdoor+furniture, home, garden, decorating, patio+furniture

I am not yet a homeowner, but I’ve been planning my decor for years for when I am. I have decided that each room will be themed like a different country. I don’t want it to look like a cheesy restaurant so I am going to tie everything together by carrying the same dark laminate hardwood floors throughout, and using the same color palette. For my dream bathroom, I am using a Moroccan theme, and I plan to decorate on a $1000 budget. This will transform even the smallest bathroom into a jewel box. The bathroom is usually closed off from the rest of the house so there’s free reign to use dark jewel tones like purples, burgundies and blue for wall color.

For the vanity I want something in dark wood that looks like a piece of antique furniture. Carving adds an intricate Moroccan feeling like this black granite topped vanity in a honey colored birch for $699. For the faucet try a bronze or iron fixture instead of traditional nickel or gold faucets. Furniture styled vanities have become the latest decorating craze.  Many people are just taking antique pieces of furniture and then dropping a sink in them.

For the shower curtain use a heavy velvet or rich satin. This is definitely the best buy of the whole bathroom. This claret colored velvet shower curtain is elegant but waterproof, and it’s only $5.65. Deal of the century.

Instead of traditional bathroom rugs, try Persian rugs for a touch of elegance. This will also add warmth, to the room and to your feet. Use a runner, it’s the perfect size for most bathrooms, this classic wool Persian rug with cotton backing is only $69

The centerpiece of this bathroom is this Moroccan-esque light. Every jewelry box needs something shiny, and light is very important when applying make up. This chandelier has a splendid Old World look with its antique bronze finish and sparkling, diamond-patterned glass shade for $79.99.

To add a feeling of elegance splurge on the everyday accessories, the soap dispenser and toothbrush holder. For a Moroccan feeling try a crackled glass or one of these solid beaded brass accessories, these are $22 each.

Now it’s the time I hate, time for math. The total is $896. This leaves plenty of money for artwork, paint, and shipping charges. For art, try black and white architecture photos of archways in simple black frames, to keep the room from feeling too fussy. Click on any of the pictures for more information. For a more neutral color palette, you can easily do this is all taupes and rich browns, just use a lot of texture for that expensive feel. Do you have a room you hate? Leave a comment and tell me about your room and give me the $1000 challenge free of charge.

I love dollar stores. There is something very satisfying about walking in a store and being able to think “I can afford anything in this place”. It is such a feeling of power, there aren’t a lot of stores that I don’t have to worry about the price. My dollar store rule is that I always have to put at least one thing back before I go through the checkout. If used correctly, the dollar store can really compliment your decor, used incorrectly; it can look like a lot of cheap clutter. Remember, it’s not a bargain if it’s ugly. Through the years I have even found some great decorating bargains at dollar stores. A few years ago I picked these two framed prints up. I really liked the subtly of the prints and the mats. The frames were brighter gold, so we rubbed a little mahogany stain on them and then wiped most of the stain off. If the pieces seem too small try grouping 3 of them together for a bigger statement.

I also got these turquoise ceramic pots for a dollar each. I chose different shapes to add variety. We also went through the same antiquing process with these pots. We tied the room together by antiquing a lot of the accessories so they look like they came from the same time period or collection. They are now on our bookshelf and really help to add some color and interest to the area. Use your dollar store purchases mixed in with nicer pieces you already have and no one will be able to tell that you only spent a dollar.  Great decorating doesn’t have to be expensive.

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