Designing Your Attitude

Let's face it.  Some days we just wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  Everything sets us off as if we are an angry, sad, and ferocious bears.  The sun though it may be shining, looks dull and dreary and even our best cup of coffee doesn't knock away the blues.  It happens.  We all have these days.

I realized that even on days such as these, we are all still in control of our own attitudes.  Even when we don't want to control our attitudes, we can consciously make the effort to readjust and start over mentally.  I'm calling this process "designing your attitude."  After explaining the process, I am including a printable graphic at the bottom so you can keep a reminder sheet handy on these bad days.

1.  Take a deep breath

Whatever it is that has you on edge can’t keep you from calming down.  Take a deep breath or two to remind yourself that you are in control and to allow your body to naturally relax itself.

2.  Count to thirty

Why thirty?  Thirty seconds is an adequate time to halt . . . long enough to stop your bad attitude in its tracks.  Consider this your time to think.  Think about why you are having a “bad day” and decide if you want this to keep controlling your attitude.

3.  Do something nice for someone else

Sometimes a bad day comes from an inward focus.  When we think all about ourselves, we are likely to be negative and focus on what isn’t good about ourselves or our lives.  Doing something nice intentionally, reminds us that it’s not all about us.  Let’s face it; it is fun to make others smile!

4.  Brighten your space

If you are in a dark area, brighten it up!  Open the windows on a sunny day, turn on lamps and overhead lights if it’s dark outside.  No one can cheer up in a dreary, dark setting.

5.  Find some inspiration

Whether you find an inspiring Scripture passage or an inspirational quote, give yourself a boost of perspective.  Here are a few good places to look:

The Bible - John 10:10; John 16:24; Proverbs 17:22;

Helen Keller - "Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows."

Franklin D. Roosevelt - “When you get to the end of your rope. Tie a knot and hang on.”

Mark Twain - "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."

Winston Churchill - "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

6.  Act out your desired attitude

If you find yourself stuck in one attitude, do something different.  Sometimes actions can override attitudes.  Smile when you are sour and you may begin to feel happy.  Go for a walk when you are angry and you may begin to enjoy the day.  Act out your desired attitude, and your attitude may adjust to your actions.

7.  Plan for success

Focus forward instead of on the present.  If the present is unbecoming, then focus on changing the future for the better.  Make a new goal to work towards.  Plan for something exciting and begin preparing for that time.  A future focus can improve your present attitude.

8.  Surround yourself with positive company        

Nothing zaps your attitude more than dismal company, but nothing improves your attitude more than being around a positive person.  Find someone who inspires you and make them a part of your life.  Also, stay clear of those who bring you down and make you feel worse about your life and encourage a bad attitude.

9.  Be productive

Nothing brightens a mood like a job well done.  Get off your duff and get moving!  Clean the house, clean your car, clean off our desk, or do a load of laundry, fold it, and put it all away.  If you are in a bad attitude and can’t shake it, couch potatoing it will not solve your attitude problems.  Make something happen and watch your bad day dissolve away.

10.  Choose your attitude intentionally

Contrary to popular American opinion, we are in charge of our actions and our attitudes.  Our actions and our attitudes are our choice, not to be blamed on our parents or any other person.  We decide how we act and how we behave.  Choose well.  If you don’t like your attitude, change it.

Masculine and Feminine: Working Through a Difference of Opinion in Decor

Men and women do not think the same.  Whether in the world of psychology, sports, medicine, or in interior design, the differences are abundantly evident.  Sometimes that difference of attitude or opinion ends up being a barrier to home design.  The wife wants the bedroom painted a light heather shade; the husband says why don't we leave it alone.  The husband finds a large manly recliner and proposes adding the piece to the living room; the wife would rather keep the atrocity away from her living space.  The examples go on and on.  How can any woman or even man who has opinions about home decor find a middle ground when these opinions seem so irreconcilable.

Focus on the Similarities
Yes, the differences are numerous, but the similarities can form a common ground.  Most women do not prefer massive pieces of manly furniture just as most men do not prefer floral patterns with hues of pink, still many women find browns attractive and men find comfortable furniture appealing.  These are the agreements in opinion that must be built upon in order to create a home design that both parties will enjoy.

Build on the Similarities
Maybe the only thing a couple can agree on is the fact that they both like authentic wood furniture.  An entire room can be styled based on this one foundation!  The couple can collect fine wood furniture and pair this will wood frames for the wall decor.  The floor can even be hard wood to reflect the couples’s love of wood and its beautiful grain.

Another example of a commonality would be the love of comfort.  Typically men love comfort and women have been known for sacrificing comfort for style.  However, if both people are equally sold on the need for comfort, they have a united front.  Each person can introduce other elements such as style and durability, but the final deciding factor on most home choices will be "Is it comfortable?"  This works even for items when decorating.  Some items create a feel that is more comfortable, while others make a room feel formal and create an atmosphere for activity or stress.  Simply choose items that facilitate relaxation.

Compromise
As a seasoned wheeler and dealer, I know that sometimes it takes a trade or two to get what you want.  When my husband gets an idea about something he wants changed around the house, I consider it an opportunity rather than a moment to run in fear.  If he wants a new piece of equipment for the television, then I can sometimes use that to encourage the buying of a new television stand to house this new piece of equipment.  If he needs a new wood working tool for his workshop in the garage, then I can propose buying a new shelf for garage organization.  However, this can work both ways.  Since I really want to complete our bedroom by painting it mild evergreen, I agreed to hang some framed tapestry pieces in our bedroom.  I get the room painted, and he gets to have the three framed tapestries in the bedroom.  Compromise not only allows both persons to feel a benefit, but it can create a new design that would have not have occurred without working together.

Decor Mediator
In a home that houses a family, the design decisions affect the entire family.  Whether the man of the house or the lady of the house takes the strongest stance, both can reconcile their differences in decor with an appealing design.  However, even the best of couples occasionally become stuck on a room or a project due to different ideas about how things should be done.  At these times, a third party can be ever so helpful.  A trained interior designer or interior decorator knows how to listen to both parties, understand the needs and desires for the space, and he or she can come up with a plan that will work for everyone.  While some men think a decorator will turn the house into a girly mess, a true interior decorator or designer will only come up with a design once she or he has heard both the husband and a wife of the household.  The design plan should be a reflection of the family of the house, not the personal style of the designer.

Working through a difference of opinion in decor can be done successfully!  The manly dresser can coincide with the floral armchair and the man cave may be able to coexist with the craft room.  With a little bit of give and take and a lot a bit of love, the house can show both masculinity and feminity while being equally enjoyable for each member of the family.

E-Design In A Nutshell

Since opening up my Etsy shop with E-design products, many potential clients, friends, and family have asked me to explain exactly what E-design entails.  In order to take the guesswork out of the concept, today's blog will explain what is involved in a room e-design.  In order to do this, I will explain the process that I used to create my recent client's Craft Room/ Guest Room E-design.

Existing Floor Plan

The Need

My client has a small bedroom in her house that she wishes to use as a guest room and a craft room.  Many people wish to have a room where they can house guests as well as routinely use as a craft room or office.  With the limited space, she had felt limited as to her options and decided that an e-design could help to give her ideas, product choices, and a layout that she had not previously considered.

The Room
The room has one double window, one closet, one entry way, a bed, an existing set of drawers, and an existing desk.  The floor is carpet and the walls are stark white.  The windows are dressed with blinds, but have no draperies.  In essence, the room is pretty must a blank slate with tons of craft room potential!

The E-design Interview
After a client purchases an E-design, they are sent an E-design Interview that helps me to understand my client's needs, wants, color preferences, and personal style.  No design should represent the designer, but instead it should be representative of the client.  From the words and expressed needs of the client within the E-design Interview, I am able to understand how to help them best and can provide them with an E-design that helps to solve their design problems with feasible solutions.



Color Selection



The Selection Process

After I have a full understanding of the room, the client's needs, and the client's personal home style, I begin the selection process.  Typically, I begin with colors.  I choose often choose two main colors and up to two accent colors.  My client loves teal, turquoise, and a fresh look.  So I chose the color Spa from Sherwin Williams, which is a light teal that is not overwhelming, and I also chose white to correspond with this color.  My suggestion was to use the white to create horizontal lines that would serve to make the room feel larger and taller.  The main accent colors were brown and light beige, which were mostly emphasized in the accessories.



Furniture and Accessory Selection



After choosing the color scheme, I began to consider the furniture and accessories that would best suit her room.  I choose items that will help with organization, storage, and add a specific style to the room.  I found tall inexpensive bookshelves that would be able to house much of her crafting supplies and I also located decorative fabric bins that would help her to organize her crafting supplies on those shelves.  To offer her more space to work on her craft projects, I found an adjustable folding table.  Due to the small space, she could have her table set up while working on projects, but hide the table under the bed when hosting guests.

Her closet has previously been underutilized for storage.  The solution was to add hanging shelves for fabric swatches as well as utilizing pants hangers for larger fabric pieces.  This allows her to save floor space while having visual access to all of her fabric.

One of the best and most exciting proposals I made through the E-design was to use a white pegboard for craft organization.  By utilizing pictures found on other crafter's websites, I was able to help my client see how useful and beneficial this concept could be for her craft room.  The concepts provided through the E-design are not always my own created concepts, but rather I find ideas that will work for my client's space.

New Floor Plan



Floor Plan

I take the measurements provided to me through the E-design Interview and draw out a floor plan.  This helps me to visualize the clients room.  Often, my clients will provide me with pictures as well.  The floor plan will then be rearranged for the best efficiency for the client's needs.  With the craft room, I decided to maximize the wall space by moving the bed into the center of the room.  While this may appear to hinder the ease of movement, the extra wall space is much more importance for my client than worrying about the time it will take to move around the bed.  In addition, the new floor plan allows space for the folding table and her ironing board while she works on projects.

E-design Presentation

After compiling all of the furniture and accessory selections, paint colors, concept ideas, and floor plans, I put together a custom E-design Presentation saved as an Adobe file.  The client is then able to flip through her E-design and see the selected furniture and accessories, the paint colors, floor plans, and the concept ideas at her own convenience.  In addition, I provide each client with a shopping list saved as an Excel file so the client can go directly to the websites of the retailers who carry the furniture and accessories featured in the E-design Presentation.  Simple, fast, and easy!

Below are a few more examples from this clients Craft Room/Guest room E-design.