The holidays are barely over and you have resolved to do any number of things-some of them may have carried over from last year.

NO guilt trips over what hasn't been done. Think in terms of this year being a new opportunity to accomplish goals. The slate is clean and a whole year stretches out in front of you.

Do you have home related resolutions? When I asked this in one of my organizing presentations it got a laugh and a few responses like-"See the top of my desk!", "Get my office back in shape", "Clear out the basement, garage, attic, etc." All of these are action items that are concise and goal oriented. They refer to organizing but they could just as easily be decorating resolutions like painting a room, finding new knobs for cabinets, reframing art to update it and more.

Make your list of the things you would like to do this year. Instead of broad ideas like, "get organized", list specific projects. Each time you complete one of the items on your list, give yourself a little reward. That plus checking it off with a thick felt tip marker will give you a sense of satisfaction and help to propel you on to another task on your list.

Make it a resolution to take advantage of opportunities that will allow you to accomplish the things on your list or create the opportunities. If bad weather cancels an activity and leaves you with some spare time, use some of it to do one of the things on your list or get prepared to do it by assembling what is needed.

Think through your resolutions and make another list of the things you'll need to accomplish each one. If you need to make purchases you will have a list on hand to take advantage of sales or to refresh your memory when you are out shopping for other things. This alone will save you time and frustration.

Enlist help. Your children may be old enough to help put together a box or tray of supplies, sort, organize, help you assemble things and more. You will have time to talk and will be teaching them valuable skills at the same time. Don't forget that you will all deserve a treat when you are finished!

Try carrying one of these space saving measuring tapes in your tote or purse-you'll save yourself time and effort when planning decorating projects and shopping for furnishings. It features a 16' measuring tape with an LED light to make reading it easier, a flip up calculator and a notepad. For a limited time it is on sale and may qualify for free shipping from Make Life Easier Catalog.

There's nothing like the sinking feeling of finding that an ornament has broken during storage. Trust Martha Stewart and her elves to come up with different ways to store your ornaments that can help prevent this. They use paper cups, egg cartons and cardboard which you may have leftover from shipping boxes. If you try them, please let me know how they work out for you.

This month's interior redesign was also a decorating and storage challenge. There were several objectives-organizing, making the room more balanced, maintaining a sleek contemporary look and bringing color into the room. To balance the impact of the black furniture, the colors in the artwork needed to be emphasized. To create a more simple and sleek look, patterns were kept to a minimum though texture was used to add interest. The client's choice of one of the currently popular greens echoed the greens in the art. A minimalist approach in accessorizing was taken so that everything had a purpose.

The result was a sophisticated and dramatic, less imposing, more casual and liveable room that fit the homeowner's lifestyle and tastes.

Please click below to see the transformation.

A vibrant reddish pink, Honeysuckle has been chosen the Color of the Year by Pantone. According to press releases, the color was chosen because:

"In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going - perfect to ward off the blues. Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum."

Look for this bright color showing up in accessories and as a dominant color in fabrics. The color mixes well with the Colors of the Year for 2008, Blue Iris, a purple blue, and 2010, Turquoise.

(Interesting note-when I mentioned this to friends recently at a party they all thought that Honeysuckle would be a pale yellow. The honeysuckle I grew up with was yellow and white, though I have seen the variety with the reddish pink color as well.)

As with any color forecast, it is the public who decides what is truly the color of the year. Is this a color you would use in accessories or even as a wall color? I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Everyone knows that organizing can make traveling a much smoother and more enjoyable experience.

If you traveled during the holidays you'll no doubt have ideas about how well the process went. Anything that streamlines the packing process as well as makes access easier is something to check out.

I've written about using hanging organizers at home in closets and they are just as handy when traveling. The key is to find a style that fits what you need to pack, is easy to pack and use. The style shown separates essentials in easy to see compartments and packs flat in a suitcase or tote.

Keeping in mind your last vacation, assemble as much of your travel needs in advance. When the opportunity to travel comes again you will be that much further along for a smooth take-off.

When I help clients with reorganizing I often find that they have interesting serving pieces that are rarely used. These pieces may have been presents, impulse buys or were purchased for a one time use.

If you have pieces like this and are considering whether to keep them or donate them, think about repurposing options.

The serving dish shown could be used as a salsa and dip sampler with a sour cream in the center. Or place a pin cushion in the center, needles, thread, scissors, and buttons in the remaining sections and you have a caddy for quick clothing fixes. It could hold paper clips, push pins and other loose office supplies. Or act as an accessory caddy on a dresser for guests.

If reorganizing and clearing out is on your list of things to do in the new year, don't overlook repurposing items before donating or discarding. For more on the server shown, please click on the link below.

Your home is your castle and you want to keep it safe. Fixing or replacing window locks is a relatively simple indoor project that can be done now for peace of mind later. This video shows you the options and how they work as well as one type of lock not to use and why, including potential safety and insurance issues.

Have you been promising yourself that you are going to make decorating changes in your home but Planning Paralysis has stopped you? Did you know that even small redesign changes in your rooms can make an amazing difference quickly, easily and affordably?

Interior Redesigns aren't always about re-doing entire rooms and they aren't major upheavals in a household. Often during consultations I show how effective quick changes can be. The result is easy to live with changes that can jump-start your decorating projects.

Are you ready for a redesign? Contact me and we can talk about your ideas and needs.