Archive for the ‘Decorationg’ Category

Master Bedroom2Wednesday I talked about cleaning up the clutter in your bedroom. Today I will give you some pointers on how you can have a bedroom that is a refuge for you and your spouse. Once you have cleaned out your bedroom have you and your spouse stand in the middle of the room and take a good look at it. Have a pad and pencil and write down things you would like to change in your room. What would make it feel like your romantic haven?

When you are looking at your master bedroom act as if that is the first room people will see when they walk in. I know most people will never see it and so you have a tendency to throw everything into that room and close the door when the doorbell rings. Find another room or closet that you can throw things into, not your master bedroom!

If you need ideas on how to decorate you romantic haven go on-line and type romantic bedrooms or go on Pinterest. You will find lots of ideas there that you can replicate. Also, look through decorating magazines.

Our bedroom is very romantic. We have bedside lamps with three way switches on it. There are candles in the bedroom and bathroom. There is nothing more relaxing and romantic than taking showers by candlelight. We have a small radio and CD player. We do have a very old small TV in the room even though it is recommended not to have it in there. We have it on only on in the morning while we are getting dress. We listen to the news. We never watch TV in bed in the evening. We haven’t spent a lot of money decorating it but it does look nice. Towels, accessories, sheets, bedspread and pillows all match. This is our romantic haven.

Here are some things you should consider when setting your room up for romance.

Paint:
Paint is an inexpensive way to update and freshen up a room. Keep the colors calm and relaxing.

Lighting:
Did you know that overhead lighting is very unflattering? A well lit room is not sexy. Your lamps should have three way switches. The lower wattage will put a nice glow on you and your partner. Pink-tinted bulbs can make you look good too. Of course candlelight is the most flattering.

Appearance:
Clean your master bedroom, dust and vacuum everything. Wash everything; Make your bed like a hotel does with the sheets folded back invitingly. Keep your children’s toys and family pictures out of the room. Don’t use your room as a display case for your hobbies. This is your private place as a couple.

Scents:
Buy candles, scented oils and a matching room spray that you both like. Make your room smell good.

Music:
Have a small stereo in your bedroom and play romantic music, soft jazz or whatever your fancy is to put you both in a romantic mood.

Once you have identified everything you want to make it your special romantic retreat then plan to purchase something every payday or put the money aside until it goes on sale. Recently we needed new towels for our master bathroom so every payday I would put our money aside until the towels were on sale. This is how I purchase everything in my home. It is a gradual transformation.

Prepare your room every night so that when you walk in you relax. Turn down the bed, fluff up the pillows, turn on the radio with soft music playing in the background, have the lights softly lit and light a candle. For those special times, ladies have beautiful lingerie hanging in your closet to make it easy for you or your husband to layout it out on the bed.

Enjoy your romantic haven!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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In November of 2009 I wrote this blog and thought it would be good to revisit this. Enjoy!

Master_Bedroom1What does your bedroom look like? Is it a place where you can go to and it feels like a refuge for you and your spouse? Or, do you have clutter and junk everywhere on the floor, bed and dresser? More than likely there is no romance going on in your master bedroom. It is hard to get in a sexy mood with a pile of clothes on the bed. Do you want to clean up your act and set a beautiful romantic retreat for you and your spouse? Today I am will help you clean out the clutter. On Friday I will discuss how to make your room comfortable and romantic. Follow these simple steps and before you know it you will have the bedroom you can both feel welcomed in.

First you need to do something about the clutter. Grab your spouse and explain that you want to have a place where you both can go to and feel relaxed. You need their help to accomplish it. If you are both overwhelmed then take only fifteen minutes a day and start to clean up the room. Start with the floors and set the timer for fifteen minutes. Divide your things into 3 piles: hamper, donate to thrift store and trash. If you don’t own a hamper then put a box in the corner. Over the weekend when you are out shopping look for a hamper that would look good in the corner of the room or closet. Nice things keep you committed to picking up your stuff. You need to start to pick up the floor and see how fast you can do it. If you didn’t complete in fifteen minutes this evening then tomorrow continue for fifteen minutes until it is done.

Then move on to your bed, take everything off your bed and straighten it up. Fluff the pillows and make it inviting to sleep in. If the bedding is dirty then put on new sheets and make a mental note to wash the blankets and bedcover over the weekend. If your bedspread looks shabby, then talk about purchasing a new bedspread over the weekend. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something that looks clean and is in the colors you both like. Maybe that could be your Christmas present for each other. Let friends and family know what you are trying to do. If they ask what you need give them a list they can choose from: candles, pillows, draperies, bedspread, towels, pictures, new lamps, etc. You could go as far as registering at someplace like Target, Wal-Mart, Pottery Barn or Macy. People can go and pick out what they would like to give you.

When the floor and bed has been picked up then pick up your dresser and end tables. Clear the clutter on top and inside the drawers. On top of your end tables there should be a lamp with a three way switch, and radio alarm clock and maybe a book, nothing else. On the dresser, you want to put your colognes, another three way lamp and a candle.

Lastly, clean out your closet! Don’t keep clothes and shoes you are not using or they are too worn out. Let there be space to hang empty hangers when clothes go into the hamper. Allow room for you shoes. If you have a place, try to hang a calendar in the closet and a couple of hooks for your robe.

Make it a pack that when you get up in the morning things will be put back in their place. And before you go to bed in the evening things will be put away. When you both work at keeping your bedroom clean and clutter free it frees your mind, there is more room for thinking about romance.

For those men who think that it isn’t that important to them so why should it matter to the woman in their lives. Think again! Women are very visual and tactile. If you want more lovin you may want to help with keeping it clean and spend the money on making the room look romantic and peaceful. A happy wife makes for a very happy husband.

So clean up your act and get the romance back in your bedroom.

You can read the second 1/2 on Friday.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

***My free eBook is coming soon! Be on the lookout for it and when it comes out you can be one of the first to get it. ***

“Your marriage is a gift from God; how you treat it is a gift to him.”

© 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Do you want to redo your bedroom but don’t know where to start? Friday night is a great time to sit down with your sweetheart and discuss how you both want your bedroom to look. Talk about the hotels you have stayed at and why you liked them. Was there a special hotel you remember particularly? Did you like how the room was decorated? This is a great stepping stone on how to decorate your room.

Look up the hotel on the internet and see if they have a picture of the room you both liked. Determine the color that was in the room, type of furniture and bedding they used and pictures hung on the wall. Write it all down and decide on a game plan on how you are going to get the same look but within your budget.  If the hotel’s room is beige but you prefer a different color use the color you prefer. It doesn’t have to match exactly. You are going after the feel and look of the room not the color.

If you don’t agree on how the room should look try to find a compromise together. Men, just a reminder, you want to keep your woman happy when it comes to the master bedroom. An unhappy woman in the bedroom makes for a less romantic woman. If she wants the bedroom to look feminine this is one room you will need to let go and let her do it her way. Trust me; it will help her feel sexier.

Saturday plan your date around looking for some of the items you will need to transform your bedroom into the serene room of your dreams. The first item you will want to get is the paint. Before you head out the door calculate how much paint you will need to get. Buy the paint and then go to a bedding store and see if they have similar bedding in the color you want.  If you have the money purchase the bedding also. Otherwise, wait until next payday and then purchase the bedding.

After shopping go to your local ice cream shop and share an ice cream sundae and plan on when you will be painting your bedroom and adding the touches you need. Don’t expect to complete the room in one weekend. When we are redoing a room it usually takes us several months to complete the look. We like to pay cash for the items we want to get so each payday we purchase an item we need for the room and before we know it the room is done. It may take us several months but we aren’t putting a strain on our credit cards or our budget.

FYI, you won’t find everything all at once but it is fun to go on an outing with your sweetheart looking for a specific item. Just another way to stay connected and feeling like you are a team in your marriage.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Did you know when you do a home improvement project together you will feel closer with your partner? Want to have the feeling of fulfillment with your sweetheart? Grab a paint brush, move furniture around or go to a garage sale, flee market or thrift store and purchase something that needs a little tender loving care.

I like shopping at the discount stores. You know the ones that carry designer clothing, high end furniture and accessories at discounted prices. I not only look at the regular merchandise but I make it a point to look at the reduced priced items too. For the last few months I have been looking for a round beveled mirror and everything I like was priced at $80 to $100+. I just couldn’t justify paying that price right now but it didn’t stop me from looking at all the mirrors every time I went in a store. Well recently while shopping at one of these discount stores low and behold waiting for me was the mirror I wanted and it was in the reduced priced bend. It had several nicks and a crack in the frame but it was only $18 (the original price was $80) and I knew I could fix it with a little help from Larry.

I purchased it and brought it home. When Larry first saw it he looked at me and thought I was nuts but I said all it needs is a little loving care and I know when we are done no one will know it looked so trashed. Guess what, we worked on this weekend? Yap, we ran to the hardware store to get an ebony wood marker and some wood glue. We glued the crack and touched up the frame. We still need to glue the brown paper backing on the back and add a wire string to hang the mirror but when it is up no one will be able to tell it looked so bad. I wished I had taken a picture before we started to work on it to show you but “sorry” I didn’t think of it.

The mirror is something most people would pass up. Boy was I glad they did because I have something I can be proud of hanging in my den. Most importantly Larry and I did it together. Every time we look at the mirror we will think of a Sunday afternoon we both loving repaired our little rough jewel in the making.

Want to feel closer? Grab your sweetheart and do a home improvement project. There will be a sense of accomplishment that you both did something together. Little things like this are what help to have “that loving feeling” toward each other. Just like the trashed mirror your relationship needs you both to find ways to keep it glued together to make it look like a million dollars. When you do these little maintenance projects you are not only repairing something but also making your relationship stronger. You will both know that no matter how tattered your relationship is you can fix it.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

Need help with cooking for romance, relationship or travel ideas? Then go to my Surprise Kiss Store above and click on the tab to see the authors I like to read.

© 2011, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Over the last year I have stressed the importance of having a nice home that is clean and clutter free but have you ever thought about the importance of having a man cave. That’s right a “Man Cave” a place where a man can call his own.  Whether it is for just himself or for several of his friends he wants a comfortable place for him to relax and renew himself.

Well if you have the room in a basement, garage or just an extra room, why not have a place where a man can go to and feel totally comfortable? Did you know six out of ten American men dream of having a “Man Cave?” What is on a man’s wish list? Men want a flat screen TV, their own refrigerator and comfortable seating.

There is a great article about how to fix up your “Man Cave” and the importance of having one. Check it out at ehow.com.

For Larry he wants a garage with a flat screen TV, a good stereo system, refrigerator, comfortable seating, and his favorite pictures hung up. An organized place to put all his tools for the Camaro he is working on. For my daughter’s husband it would be most of everything above but a place for him to work on his photography and watch the Dodgers.

Most women try to carve out a spot they can call their own. So start making a wish list and looking for a special place a man can have. Ladies ask your man what he wants and men let your wife know what you would like to have.

Communication and a wish list is a great way for people to know what is needed to complete a “Man Cave” for you or that special someone. It doesn’t have to be put together all at once. Slowly do it. These are great Christmas, birthday, Father’s Day, Valentines or just because gifts!

Who knows once it is all decorated ladies your man might invite you in to his “Man Cave” and have a very romantic rendezvous on his own terms?

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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Yesterday I talked about cleaning up the clutter in your bedroom. Today I will give you some pointers on how you can have a bedroom that is a refuge for you and your spouse. Once you have cleaned out your bedroom have you and your spouse stand in the middle of the room and take a good look at it. Have a pad and pencil and write down things you would like to change in your room. What would make it feel like your romantic haven?

When you are looking at your master bedroom act as if that is the first room people will see when they walk in. I know most people will never see it and so you have a tendency to throw everything into that room and close the door when the door bell rings. Find another room or closet that you can throw things into, not your master bedroom!

If you need ideas on how to decorate you romantic haven go on-line and type romantic bedrooms. You will find lots of ideas there that you can replicate. Look through magazines.

Our bedroom is very romantic. We have bedside lamps with three way switches on it. There are candles in the bedroom and bathroom. There is nothing more relaxing and romantic than taking showers by candlelight. We have a small radio and CD player. We do have a very old small TV in the room even though it is recommended not to have it in there. We have it on only on in the morning while we are getting dress. We listen to the news. We never watch TV in bed in the evening. We haven’t spent a lot of money decorating it but it does look nice. Towels, accessories, sheets, bedspread and pillows all match. This is our romantic haven.

Here are some things you should consider when setting your room up for romance.

  • Paint:
    Paint is an inexpensive way to update and freshen up a room. Keep the colors calm and relaxing.
  • Lighting:
    Did you know that overhead lighting is very unflattering? A well lit room is not sexy. Your lamps should have three way switches. The lower wattage will put a nice glow on you and your partner. Pink-tinted bulbs can make you look good too. Of course candlelight is the most flattering.
  • Appearance:
    Clean your master bedroom, dust and vacuum everything. Wash everything; Make your bed like a hotel does with the sheets folded back invitingly. Keep your children’s toys and family pictures out of the room. Don’t use your room as a display case for your hobbies. This is your private place as a couple.
  • Scents:
    Buy candles, scented oils and a matching room spray that you both like. Make your room smell good.
  • Music:
    Have a small stereo in your bedroom and play romantic music, soft jazz or what ever your fancy is to put you both in a romantic mood.

Once you have identified everything you want to make it your special romantic retreat then plan to purchase something every payday or put the money aside until it goes on sale. Recently we needed new towels for our master bathroom so every payday I would put our money aside until the towels were on sale. This is how I purchase everything in my home. It is a gradual transformation.

Prepare your room every night so that when you walk in you relax. Turn down the bed, fluff up the pillows, turn on the radio with soft music playing in the background, have the lights softly lit and light a candle. For those special times, ladies have beautiful lingerie hanging in your closet make it easy for you or your husband to layout on the bed.

Enjoy your romantic haven!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2009 – 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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What does you bedroom look like? Is it a place where you can go to and it feels like a refuge for you and your spouse? Or, do you have clutter and junk everywhere on the floor, bed and dresser? More than likely there is no romance going on in your master bedroom. It is hard to get in a sexy mood with a pile of clothes on the bed. Do you want to clean up your act and set a beautiful romantic retreat for you and your spouse? Today I am will help you clean out the clutter. Tomorrow I will discuss how to make your room comfortable and romantic. Follow these simple steps and before you know it you will have the bedroom you can both feel welcomed in.

First you need to do something about the clutter. Grab your spouse and explain that you want to have a place where you both can go to and feel relaxed. You need their help to accomplish it. If you are both overwhelmed then take only fifteen minutes a day and start to clean up the room. Start with the floors and set the timer for fifteen minutes. Divide your things into 3 piles: hamper, donate to thrift store and trash. If you don’t own a hamper then put a box in the corner. Over the weekend when you are out shopping look for a hamper that would look good in the corner of the room or closet. Nice things keep you committed to picking up your stuff. You need to start to pick up the floor and see how fast you can do it. If you didn’t complete in fifteen minutes this evening then tomorrow continue for fifteen minutes until it is done.

Then move on to your bed, take everything off your bed and straighten it up. Fluff the pillows and make it inviting to sleep in. If the bedding is dirty then put on new sheets and make a mental note to wash the blankets and bedcover over the weekend. If your bedspread looks shabby, then talk about purchasing a new bedspread over the weekend. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something that looks clean and is in the colors you both like. Maybe that could be your Christmas present for each other. Let friends and family know what you are trying to do. If they ask what you need give them a list they can choose from: candles, pillows, draperies, bedspread, towels, pictures, new lamps, etc. You could go as far as registering at someplace like Target, Wal-Mart, Pottery Barn or Macy. People can go and pick out what they would like to give you.

When the floor and bed has been picked up then pick up your dresser and end tables. Clear the clutter on top and inside the drawers. On top of your end tables there should be a lamp with a three way switch, and radio alarm clock and maybe a book, nothing else. On the dresser, you want to put your colognes, another three way lamp and a candle.

Lastly, clean out your closet! Don’t keep clothes and shoes you are not using or they are too worn out. Let there be space to hang empty hangers when clothes go into the hamper. Allow room for you shoes. If you have a place, try to hang a calendar in the closet and a couple of hooks for your rob.

Make it a pack that when you get up in the morning things will be put back in their place. And before you go to bed in the evening things will be put away. When you both work at keeping your bedroom clean and clutter free it frees your mind, there is more room for thinking about romance.

For those men who think that it isn’t that important to them so why should it matter to the woman in their lives. Think again! Women are very visual and tactile. If you want more lovin you may want to help with keeping it clean and spend the money on making the room look romantic and peaceful. A happy wife makes for a very happy husband.

So clean up your act and get the romance back in your bedroom.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2009 – 2013, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

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