What's that SMELL?

Whenever I walk into someone's house, the first thing I notice, before the wall paper, before the hardwood floors, before the antique dinning set, is the smell of the home. It can either be "ahhh, what's that lovely smell" or (holding my breath and trying not to gag) "oh, do you have a dog?" Remember my post a few months back about keeping your house clean? Remember when I said that even if you have the most expensive furniture it won't matter if there's crap lying around all over the place? Well the same thing goes with odor in the home. You can have a picture perfect home, but if it smells like a barn, nobody will want to hang around, AND they'll think your home is dirty, because really, what is that smell?!

The Solution?
No, it's NOT air fresheners. Air fresheners, might smell good, but they are full of toxic chemicals that you absolutely DO NOT want in your home. Besides, they're just going to mask the odor temporarily any how.

1. The BEST way possible to purify the air in your home is by ozone treatments. When oxygen is charged with electricity it becomes O₃. This elemental form of oxygen is called ozone. In nature, ozone is created by either the sun's ultra-violet rays or by the electrical charge resulting from lightning. The fresh clean smell in the air after a thunder storm is the effect of ozone cleaning the surrounding atmosphere. The advanced Ozone generating equipment mimics this natural process, converting ordinary air into Ozone (O₃). The electrified oxygen treatment will eradicate smoke, pet, strong cooking and other unwanted odors. In addition, the treatment will kill mold, mildew, and the bacteria that make your family sick. Best thing is that ozone won't harm you, or the environment! Trust me, this works 100%! We had our car treated after our daughter threw up and the smell was gone after just 25 minutes. For more information click here.

2. You can also open up your windows on a daily basis to air our any smells lurking in your home.

3. Also, use a beeswax candle (beeswax will burn clean) add a couple drops of pure essential oil to the melted wax and you'll have a pleasant scent to in home.

4. A bouquet of fresh flowers will not only make a room smell lovely, but it also adds a welcoming, pretty touch to any room.

You don't want people judging your house because of a strong odor, the second they walk through the door. A beautiful house, smells beautiful.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

If THIS Doesn't Inspire You, Nothing Will!

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this before today. Like this has been an obsession of mine for the last 4 years at least. There's a designer out there that I absolutely LOVE and would hire in an instant if I could afford her. I just spent the last two days watching her online videos on HGTV.ca and I am totally, TOTALLY inspired. I have to say that lately I've been loving her work even more because her last two projects were an AMAZING cottage, and a BEAUTIFUL farm house. I seriously love antiques and country looking designs, so her newest projects make me want to run out to an antique market and buy cute, unique, and rustic pieces for my entire house. She also uses color, patterns, and fabrics in the smartest ways possible. I mean, really, everything she does makes me say "wow!" Alright, so I could go on and on (really, just ask my husband) but instead, I'll just give you the link to her videos. Although her budget for decorating rooms is WAY higher than I could ever afford, there is always something that can be learned from all her projects. So, set aside some quiet time and prepare yourself for the ultimate in home decorating!

Meet Sarah Richardson! www.HGTV.ca/video/ and click on Sarah Richardson!

Let me know what you think!

- Elisabeth