Bright ideas we gathered from your comments.

1. We may love our homes, but we take our traveling seriously. After Erica asked for guide book recommendations, several of you suggested Rick Steves. Says Oyla: “His europe centric books are exceptional and unbeatable. My parents and us have collected at least 10-15 books over the past 8 years. Amazing writing, wonderful places, and exceptional tours.” Click here to see more travel resource ideas.

2. More inexpensive ways to keep your house smelling fresh. Dancing Kitchen writes: “I am a frugal soul and I save my orange peels and lemon ends in the freezer to add to boiling cinnamon pot. There’s nothing that smells cleaner than simmering cinnamon, and a little citrus touch with a couple of cloves gives my house the smell of comfort and goodness. It is much less expensive then other methods and will freshen up my medium sized house after a egg roll, crab ragoon dinner party.” Click here to see all your fresh smelling ideas.

3. You definitely think outside the box when it comes to rehabing old chairs. Dana from Dana Design Studio has these suggestions for Bunny’s chair project. “I love the magenta idea, or hot pink done in a high gloss. A bold, not pale green, could be stunning too. Since you said your room is not formal (and I am guessing not strickly traditional?), then I think you can have fun, even go wild.” Click here to see the project and weigh in.

4. The most basic recipes are made better with the right ingredients. Anne (in Reno) raves about Hungarian paprika. “Typical paprika is mild and sweet, and even sweet Hungarian paprika has much more flavor. But be careful, if you look hard enough you can find the hot Hungarian paprika and it’s quite a surprise! I use a mix of the hot and sweet to make Hungarian sausage, and I mix the hot with cumin and chili powder when I’m making tacos. It’s great stuff to have around! I never buy the lame Spanish kind, it’s really more for color, IMHO.” See this lentil soup recipe for more.

5. Of the current Oscar hopefuls, one seems to be standing out for its decor. MrDalloway writes: The Shropshire Mansion in “Atonement” with kiera knightly is spectacular! Which of this year’s releases are your favorites? Leave a comment on our movie decor post.

Jan 20, 1:52 PM — [ Edit | Delete | Unapprove | Spam | View Post ]

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