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Solutions to life's tasks big or small

Simple Fall  Centerpieces

8/24/2016

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During the fall create more opportunities other than Thanksgiving to decorate your table by hosting a dinner party or Sunday dinner.
​ It is simple to dress up any table with these three suggestions.

Pumpkin Inspired

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Small white pumpkins known as baby boos, candles, antlers and flowers brighten the table
​and are simple, yet elegant.

Vegetable Inspired

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Have you ever though of using vegetables to dress up your table? Cut the asparagus and green beans the appropriate length for the candle. Place a rubber band around the candle and slide green beans and asparagus through. Once you have finished arranging, cover the rubber band with satin ribbon. To set candle inside artichoke, just simply core out the center and slide candle inside. Add white flowers  and additional votives and your table is complete.

Apple Inspired

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Tea light candles are the perfect choice for this project.
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Before beginning, soak apples in apple cider vinegar. This will keep the apples from browning,
​This trick works for keeping your pumpkins looking fresh as well.
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Core the center of the apple, either with an apple corer or a melon baller.
​Place a tea light inside, arrange the apples on pieces of bark and your centerpiece is complete.
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You can also place the apples and tea lights in water for a floating centerpiece.
​If your dinner is outdoors, place apples inside the pool for a beautiful glow.
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Home Inventory Solutions

8/16/2016

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What does everyone know they need but very few people actually have?
​A home inventory.

What can a home inventory help with?
  • Keep track of items during a move
  • Home fire
  • Theft
  • Finding warranties
  • Renovations
  • Tax purposes: verifies losses or property owned
  • Natural disasters: speeds up claim process
  • Going through a divorce
  • Will preparation
  • Death of a family member
  • Preparing for garage/estate sale

Where do you begin? If you have the means I suggest hiring a professional to inventory your possessions. I have done several for clients and they are extremely involved and time consuming. The end result is definitely worth the investment, however it is so easy to get overwhelmed and quit.  Typically a professional will charge by square footage, however this cost may vary depending on the detail of inventory and quantity of possessions. 
If you choose to do it yourself, give yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your inventory. Three weeks is reasonable depending on the detail and size of your home. Here are some tips to help you along.
There are many apps and computer programs available to help with home inventories. Majority of them are helpful and will streamline the process. Regardless of what method you choose to inventory your home, you will need the following six items to begin.
  1. A notebook designated to your home inventory.
  2. A folder for warranties, receipts and other paperwork.
  3. A camera.
  4. A video camera.
  5. Coffee, coffee, coffee, or in my case Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi.
  6. Tons of patience. Home inventories are tedious, thus the reason not everyone has one. 
The best part of taking the time to do an inventory is you realize just how much you have accumulated over the years. It becomes a perfect time to organize and declutter. Start in a simple place with not much to catalog, such as the laundry room. 

Now it's time to begin
  1. Declutter and organize
  2. Take a video of  the space
  3. Take pictures of everything. All furniture, appliances and electronics. Do not forget to look inside drawers and cabinets.
  4. Write down serial numbers, make & model of electronics, appliances and furniture.
  5. Do not forget to include the garage as well as outdoor spaces. This includes vehicles, lawn equipment, pool accessories and other entertaining furniture you may have outdoors. 
  6. Choose what app or computer program you want to use for your inventory, and enter your information.
  7. Finally, gather all important documents, life insurance, home insurance, username and passwords to all financial information and place them in a file for easy and quick access in case of an emergency.​

Once you have inventoried every room, make three digital copies of all pictures, videos and paperwork. Why three copies? Three copies will ensure that no matter what disaster, with the exception of an Apocalypse, you will have a copy of your full inventory. Be sure to write down your username and password for your online inventory. and include with every inventory copy.
​Store your copies in the following places.
  1. In your home, preferably a fireproof safe.
  2. A safety deposit box.
  3. ​A relatives home who lives outside the state you reside in.

Hopefully you will never be in a position to have to use your inventory, but if disaster does come your way, you will have the comfort of knowing you are prepared.
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Natural Christmas Inspiration

8/4/2016

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There's something magical about Christmas. The smells, the music, the food and the atmosphere. 
The best part is Christmas is a season you can completely customize according to your taste. 
Here are simple, yet elegant ways to create a white Christmas feel for you and your guests.
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Create a glow and light up your outdoor or indoor trees with hundreds of white lights.
Have you ever wondered how many lights you should use on your tree? 
​It's all personal preference, however the standard rule of thumb is 100-150 lights per foot of tree. So a 6ft tree should get 600-900 lights.
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Bring nature from the outside in to accent your accessories.
I love how the galvanized stars contrast against the natural branch and wood window frame.
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One of my favorite tablescapes. Simple, elegant, yet impactful.
Tea lights, white dishes, menus printed on natural paper and faux fur blankets for each guest are all brought together with the natural elements of branches, white flowers and sprigs of thyme. 
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Washi Tape Dorm Room Solutions

8/3/2016

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My beautiful nieces, Kenisha, Kierra and Zareesha are off to college in just a few days!
In honor of their accomplishments, here are some creative ways to use washi tape in a dorm room.
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Make the door of your dorm stand out with a design or a word using washi tape.
​This is an inexpensive, simple way to express your unique style.

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Brighten up your boring white walls by making washi tape frames & using your favorite Instagram pictures, or a simple art design above your desk. If you want to cover a larger area, decorate an entire wall with a geometric design, stripes or an oversized heart.
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Due to space, most dorms do not provide headboards. No problem, make your own with washi tape.
I love the city skyline, however if you prefer a more rustic feel, mountains or a nature design may be more your style.

Worried about mixing up personal items with your roommates?
Personalize keys, school binders, power cords, or even beauty products with washi tape.
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    About Desireé

    With a passion to help simplify the lives of others, I seek to share solutions for life's tasks big or small through creative organization, practical, yet beautiful design and an attitude of conquering any project I take on.

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