Shade Topper
Posted in Candle Holders & Accessories on 05/24/2004 06:14 am by admin
The days are longer; the sun shines brighter. Throw open the windows and inhale in the sweet smell of fresh cut grass and the lilacs blooming outside! The world is coming back to life, and you've got more energy and enthusiasm. It's time to shake off the darkness of winter with a good round of Spring Cleaning!
First on the list is bringing more light into your home. Take down your curtains and window shades and give them a good cleaning. Bring Venetian blinds outside and hose them down. Iron curtains with starch for a crisp clean look, but don't hang them up again until you've washed the windows — inside and out! You can clean your windows in one day with a bucket of water and ammonia, a squeegee and a stack of newspapers. Clean windows are the number one feature of a bright, welcoming home. Replace dark insulated draperies with sheer curtains or perhaps just a window topper to allow the sunlight to illuminate the room.
Now that you can see more clearly, look around. Is your house filled with clutter? Have stacks of newspapers and magazines, scattered toys, piles of papers and various odds and ends taken over your counters, tabletops, chairs, and the floor? Throw out everything you don't need — and chances are most of it can go out with the trash. Get some good-looking storage containers or bookcases/shelving units to hold the stuff you do need.
What shape are the walls in? Think about painting the walls after cleaning them with a lemon-scented degreaser. Pastel shades brighten up a room. Experiment, you might be surprised to find that light colors really brighten your mood. Or simply give your walls a good cleaning and stencil on a border, or hang a favorite print or dried flower arrangement. Think about using a hallway as a gallery for framed family photos.
Wow! Now that the walls are clean, you can see that the baseboards, doors and moldings are quite dirty. Clean the woodwork with a bucket of water and a bit of Murphy's Oil soap to add a real sparkle to your rooms. Consider renting a buffing machine to put a shine on your wood floors. Get the carpets cleaned or buy some bright scatter rugs to add a touch of color.
If you've moved the furniture to get your cleaning done, think about putting it back differently. Rearranging your furniture, eliminating or adding one of two pieces, can give your room a whole new feel.
This is also a good time to go through your closets and drawers and get rid of any clothes you haven't worn in the last three years. There's nothing more satisfying than hauling some big garbage bags filled with clothes you no longer need or want to Goodwill or the Salvation Army — and you get a tax break! More expensive clothes in good shape can be brought to a consignment shop. How about putting a shelving unit into your closet to utilize the space to maximum effect?
Now that the heavy housework is done, have some fun. Pick up some new linens for your beds, wash them in detergent meant for baby clothes, and hang them outside to dry. You'll love the clean sweet smell. New guest towels and fancy soaps can add pizzazz to bathrooms. Get a head start on your vegetable garden — and bring new life to your kitchen — by starting your tomatoes and peppers in bright ceramic pots on a windowsill or a sunny counter top. And a new tablecloth (or a new dining set!) will make it easier to eat the right foods so you fit into the swimsuit you'll be wearing all too soon!
Candles with the scent of spring, like peach or honeysuckle, and fresh flowers — even a single daffodil, crocus, lily or tulip in a bud vase — in every room of the house will complete the resurrection of your home — from winter blahs to the new birth of Spring!
Quick! Have your mother-in-law over before the house reverts to its old ways!
About the Author:
Please find the original article and more information about this subject at
http://www.homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=SpringClean
PARVATI MARKUS is a writer/editor with a Masters in Creative Writing from Antioch. She works with The Kabbalah Centre and freelances on non-fiction books and articles. As a recent arrival in L.A. Parvati is completing her "residency requirement" by writing a screenplay.
If you would like to publish this article on your own site, please feel free to do so. Please let us know the URL of the posted article by emailing the URL to customerservice@homeandliving.com. All we ask is that you include the whole article, without changes, including the link to the original article location, author information, this disclaimer and the following link.
Find great home furniture online at www.homeandliving.com...
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Spring Cleaning
 |
 OUR AMERICA BIRDHOUSE CANDLE SHADE TOPPER  US $12.99
|
 Yankee Candle jar Shade Topper US $4.99
|
 Home Interiors Candle Jar Topper Peony Flowers Candle Capper Beautiful Shade US $4.99
|
 Grapes Ceramic Shade Topper for Large Jar Candle US $3.99
|
 Home Interiors Brown and Green Striped Candle Shade Topper 3 1 2 Tall US $3.99
|
 HURRICANE STYLE CERAMIC SHADE TOPPER US $7.99
|
 Yankee Candle Co Shade Topper silver gold glitter large US $8.99
|
 Yankee Candle Topper Shade Quilted Hearts Hanging Bells VGC US $19.95
|
 METAL PUNCHWORK JAR CANDLE SHADE TOPPER LEAVES DESIGN US $4.99
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topper $169.99 Topper - Framed Poster |
|
|
Brocade Topper $80.99 Brocade Topper |
|
|
Smart Topper $59.99 Smart Topper - Wall Decal |
|
|
Timber Topper $119.99 Cecil Aldin Timber Topper - Fine Art Print |
|
|
Topper, Vol. 2 - B&W $5.99 Includes:Topper: Topper Goes West (1954) Topper: A Ghostly Joke (1954) Topper: Trip to Lisbon (1954) Topper: The Proposal (1954) Topper: Topper Goes West No synopsis available. Topper: A Ghostly Joke No synopsis available. Topper: Trip to Lisbon No synopsis available. Topper: The Proposal No synopsis available. |
|
|
Topper, Vol. 1 - B&W $5.99 Includes:Topper: Topper Goes to Las Vegas (1954) Topper: Henrietta Sells the House (1954) Topper: Topper Goes to Las Vegas No synopsis available. Topper: Henrietta Sells the House No synopsis available. |
|
|
Topper, Vol. 3 - B&W $5.99 Includes:Topper: Legacy (1954) Topper: The Decorating Episode (1954) Topper: The Picnic (1954) Topper: Legacy No synopsis available. Topper: The Decorating Episode No synopsis available. Topper: The Picnic No synopsis available. |
|
|
Shade $15.99 Shade |
|
|
Topper Seed Packet $49.99 Topper Seed Packet - Giclee Print |
|
|
Baby Topper with Fur Cuffs $59.99 Baby Topper with Fur Cuffs - Wall Decal |