Open the Door to an Organized Closet

   

How to organize a closet to create

extra storage space

 

by Lorraine Brock

We all have areas in our homes we call storage space, but not all storage spaces are created equal. Some of us have an abundance of these hidden spaces that contain the things we need and value, while others torture themselves by trying to squeeze too many things into tiny storage spaces we call closets. When designing a home, many home builders focus more on the visual spaces such as a large kitchen or big bathrooms, when in fact the more important feature is the availability of closet space to allow families to store items they identify as valuable. On the other hand, many home buyers do not recognize the lack of storage space when making a home purchase. They see large bedrooms, high ceilings, and beautiful kitchens as their vision of the perfect home. When they attempt to put away their belongings and create functional spaces, they realize there is not enough storage space.

Your Wedding Dress: Keep it or Not?

How to Decide Whether to Keep Your Wedding Gown or Not

Weddings are beautiful and so are the wedding dresses worn by the brides. Every bride dreams of her wedding day and often spends untold hours and money to find that perfect dress. A few years ago I went shopping with my niece for her wedding gown. She made it a family event, inviting her sisters, her parents, and me, her crazy, fun aunt. In fact, now that I think about it, I went shopping with all three of my nieces to find the perfect dresses for their wedding days.

Now that a few years have passed, I visited with each of my nieces about what their plans are for the wedding dress they will never wear again.  I posed three questions to them: How are you currently storing your wedding dress; why are you keeping it; and if you inherit your mother’s wedding dress, what would you do with it?

Spring Gardening Tip from the Dallas Arboretum

Daffodils

What to plant for Spring in your garden and a few tips for your next trip to the Dallas Arboretum

 

We were planning a trip to the Dallas Arboretum for the Spring Blooms and the Artscape show this past weekend when I happened to catch a news brief on Friday morning. The Fox 4 reporter asked the senior director Jimmy Turner about what “heat-friendly” plants to plant now and he started laughing! Remember that it is only March and we could still be in for some cold weather. Now is still a good time to plant cool weather loving plants! Watch the interview here for his spring gardening tip.

Using Stencils to Create Art for Your Walls

Martha Stewart stencils at Michael's

How to Use Stencils to Paint on Canvas for some Great Wall Art

We recently remodeled our bathroom, removing the ancient wallpaper, texturing walls, putting in new flooring and fixtures. We have a huge bathroom, kind of silly how big it is. Above the bathtub is a large white wall that was too empty without the patterned wallpaper. We decided to add blue accents with rugs and towels to an otherwise beige area to tie in with the blue walls and carpet in our bedroom.  So I wanted artwork in keeping with our blue theme. Because I had textured the walls, stencils directly on the walls were not an option.

How to Throw a Birthday Bash on a Budget

Kids Birthday at Home

Inexpensive Ideas for a Kids Birthday Party

By Ashley Parks, CFP®

I love birthdays. To me there’s something wonderful about celebrating the blessing of life.  Each year we have been blessed to be on this earth: to have friendships, relationships, opportunities and experiences.  Whether it’s a child’s birthday party or one for an adult, a celebration of that person’s life and what they mean to us is a true gift in itself.  The question is: how to throw a birthday bash when on a budget?