Top Ten Tips From My Favorite Magazines

I haven't posted one of my favorite things articles since Sept. So I am going to bunch, Oct, November and December all together. So here are my Top Ten Tips From My Favorite Magazines for the end of 2011.

1.  House Beautiful has some wonderful bedroom ideas. I have been thinking of painting my bedroom a lightish brown, but this color is just so restful.

2.  This bedroom was also in House Beautiful (which I downloaded on my iPad via Zinio). I have often had bedrooms with strangely placed windows. The large pieces of art between the two windows creates a beautiful space that could have been hard to work with.

3. I first saw this portable fireplace at Glo.  I long ago lost my preference for a "real" fireplace, after spending 3 winters chopping wood to keep my little cottage warm. I want a fireplace that I can turn on with a switch. The flame in this fireplace is generated from ethanol. Now on sale for $788.40. 

4.  And here are biofuel pillars for outside. Pretty cool. How's that for curb appeal?

5.  I have a real thing lately for purple and red. I have a purple door but it is not as deep of purple as this one featured in Martha Stewart's Living. She has a whole section online devoted to Decorating By Color.

6.  These "Diva" cocktail napkins from Sharyn Blond Linens just make me smile.

7.  The October issue of Country Living has some terrific tips for decorating small spaces including "Ornate, embellished details give even the tightest spots a sense of grandeur."  I love a chandelier in a small kitchen or bathroom.

8.  Two things I really love from this ad. First is the purple MOEL armchair. Second are the wonderfully colored lampshades. How fun to have all those hanging from a ceiling.

9.  Real Simple magazine always has the best tips, including 66 all natural cleaning solutions. Who knew you could do so many things with lemons.

10. Also from Real Simple - 20 Little Ways to Drop Pounds. I also read recently to just change one small thing each week. Real Simple's list of 20 is a good way to cover the first 20 weeks.