Put some flair in Your Lair

Let me tell you what I can see right now as I sit on my bed. I can see piles. Piles of clean clothes. Piles of dirty clothes. Piles of clothes that need to be donated to Goodwill. Piles of toys that I told my kids were going to be donated to Goodwill if they didn't pick them up. If I could describe my decorating style in one word it would be pile-ish.

But as much as I love piles, they just don't scream "love!", "intimacy!", or "hubba! hubba!" Mostly they just make everything look cluttered and messy. I got to thinking the other day that I want to make our bedroom, our lair, more conducive to romance, and I know that the first things that have to go are the stacks of stuff everywhere.

This week's challenge is to spend a few days putting some romantic flair in your lair.

I hate to admit it, but our room is the last room we decorated, four whole years after we moved in, and two years later, it's still not completely finished. If you're anything like me, your bedroom is a catchall place for everything. There are pictures of the kids, files for Big A's business, lotions, powders, hair accessories and more all over the place. I don't even know how we can stand to sleep in there, let alone do anything else.

So this week, I'm going to replace the pictures of the kids with pictures of me and Big A. I have so many of us, from as far back as high school, that never see the light of day. I'm going to pick up the piles and get rid of what we don't need. The dressers are getting decluttered, as are the nightstands. I'm going to swap out the lightbulb in the lamp for one a little softer. We're not candle people, but I have kept flower petals from all the bouquets he's even given me. I have a great vase that I could put those in. I won't be spending a dime, but just those small changes will improve the romantic mood dramatically.

Other possible ideas: adding a canopy (if you really want to get romantic), installing mirrors overhead (if you really want to get adventurous), bolting a swing to the ceiling (if you really want to get crazy).

Seriously, the sky is the limit. You know your husband. Maybe he doesn't like the frou-frou pink bedspread, but you just love it. Switching it with something a little more neutral might be romantic for him. I have a friend who made a framed collage of the love letters she and her spouse shared in college. She hung it in her master bathroom and gets to read those letters everyday, instead of every decade like when they were in a box in the attic.

So join me in creating our own little romantic havens this week. It will be simple, quick and have great results!