Molly McLean

When decorating the exterior of your home, consider your existing color scheme such as the shutters, door and brick or siding.

Purple, green and gold make a nice compliment to this exterior.

The colored pre-lit trees that have been on display in retail stores are perfect to add a splash of color to your holiday decor.

This pink tree is adorned with baby’s breath, shoes, mittens ornaments and topped off with an antique bonnet to compliment this baby’s nursery.

This lavendar tree gives off a sense of winter delight, adorned with large snow flake ornaments, crystal ribbon and silver ornaments. The irridescent garland sparkles against the lights creating a snow like ambience.

My favorite season is fall. Not only do the colors of leaves bring inspiration my way, but the nip of coolness in the air gives me a boost of energy to get things done such as decorate!

Now that summer is officially over and fall is here, the window box is probably looking a little bare. Add evergreeens to your window box and accessorize with winter plants. For fall, add pie pumpkins, gooseneck gourds and corn for color.

To keep the evergreens and the mums from drying out, I’ve placed them in the window box in their pots. When the frost comes and the mums die back, I will switch them out with pansies. The evergreens can be planted in the spring and replaced with other plantings if desired.

Stack your pumpkins in a tower of several colors and add gooseneck gourds for variety. Until frost, they work well with the orange of lantana. To keep pests out of your produce and give them a glossy look, use clorox and water to wash the pumpkins. Once you have washed them, completely dry the pumpkins and gourds and then spray them with a clear finish.

Faux fall vines make a nice addition to the lampost to add a splash of color. If you’re having a party that same day, use leaves from the yard by using branches that have fallen and tying them together with florist wire around your post.

A faux fall wreath is not only fun to make, but it adds new color to your outdoors. This fall wreath works well against the background of a green garden shed.

A fall wreath for the front door is adorned with an assortment of items including fruit, hydrangeas, beaded garland as well as sticks for texture.

Go “green” this halloween with a just a few simple tips that are good on the pocket book as well as on the environment by using what you have, what you can find and eliminating excessive waste and spending.

Pumpkins painted black with poka dots add a whimsical theme to halloween decor. When the season is over, save the seeds and plant them next year.

Use fabric you may already have to cover a thrift store table to provide a place for trick-or-treaters candy. An old flower pot painted black with orange polka dots makes an inexpensive candy dish.

A skeleton found at the thrift store greets guests at the back door by hanging on a plant hanger in a pot. Purple mums give a fresh feel to the otherwise harsh look of the sticks found in the yard. Paint them black and add pumpkins for color.

Provide lighting for trick-or-treaters by using purple Christmas lights or clear. A gooseneck gourd is painted black with white polka dots and a “green” trick-or-treat bag is made from an old pillowcase with a handle tied for small hands to carry the sack. Adorn the outside with felt to create a personalized trick-or-treat bag whether it is with your child’s monogram, a pumpkin face or like this one as a ghost face. Presto felt can be found at most any store that carries craft supplies. Just cut it out and stick it on your fabric.

Lighting the path is very important, so use electric lights instead of candles for safety! Happy Halloween!

Dress your bed as if you are designing an outfit for yourself. Start with a base, such as a white or off white bedspread to allow for change. Add shams in several different patterns for a country vintage appeal and accessorize with a couple of accent pillows such as this yo-yo pillow found at an antique shop for less then $5.00! Add a throw at the end for color and finish it with a sweet silver coffee set. Voila! a well dressed bed makes all the difference in a bedroom!

Just about any corner of your home can be transformed into a home office. A vintage desk given a new life with paint, and extended top works well in the corner of this dining room. Two shelves with labeled baskets keep items organized and within easy reach.

A glass top is added to the desk top to provide a place for photographs.

Pre-fabricated boards cut to size with closet rods added provide more organization space in a closet. A vintage dresser adds much needed storage space and costs very little money at a consignment shop and is given new life with a fresh coat of paint.

A dresser mirror originally purposed for a brush set is hung on the wall with a plate hanger to reflect light from the lamp in the closet. A lamp allows for much needed light in a dark closet.

Decorate the front door and greet guest with a seasonal greeting.

A simple valance can be made by using a vintage table cloth. Simply nail two nails in the window frame and drape the table cloth on them. Spice up your bathroom with colored trim.

A small space always needs extra storage. A vintage cabinet found at the flea market houses much needed items such as toiletries and wash cloths. This cabinet doesn’t occupy much floor space, but it makes an ideal place to store some of life’s little “necessities”.

A valance made from inexpensive fabric and lined with contrasting fabric brings a light and airy flavor to this bathroom. Beaded trim added to the edge gives it a more expensive look.

We all have photographs of fond memories, friends and families or even fido. Sometimes the hodge podge of picture frames can be overwhelming and not visually pleasing. To create visual impact group photographs of similar frame colors together.

For example, you may want to use photographs in black and white or sepia colored to give the appearance of age. Place the photographs on a shelf or ledge above a piece of furniture to create the appearance of a larger piece of artwork.