The cool thing about decorating is that there are no rules. You may have a grand plan for your home and garden or just enjoy a nicely displayed set of collectibles. You may want to give your bath a warm and cozy touch, or you have a list of thoughtful gift ideas for your loved ones. Or perhaps you have a blue room and a red room and want to find color-coordinated decor. Or you're into Western style products and are just bursting with ideas of how to turn your home into a Wild West ranch. It's all about being creative, having fun, and making yourself and your loved ones happy.

Fortunately, there are a lot of places that offer home and garden decor. The good news is that whatever you have your heart set on, you'll be able to find it somewhere. The bad news is that there is so much out there that it's hard to decide how to go about it and what to buy. After all, whether it's a home makeover or seasonal decor, you don't want to waste your money or end up with a hodgepodge of incompatible items that'll quickly end up in a garage sale. What you need is a plan. So before you start on your next project:

1) Sit down and think about what you want to accomplish, and then write it down. Examples: "Decorate guest room with nautical theme" or "Get color-coordinated bath accessories and candles for both bathrooms."

2) Do a list of items that you may need for your project. Be realistic, but use your imagination. You can always cut back later.

3) Decide on a budget. It is much easier to do a project when you know how much you are going to spend on it.

4) Give yourself a timeframe. This is very important, as there is nothing more frustrating than having a dozen half-completed projects.

5) List shops and places where you can find the items you'll need.

The last point - listing the places where you'll go buy the things you need - is actually not as easy as I sounds. I used to make little lists on yellow stickies that I pasted into my wallet and then I'd drive all over town, from store to store. That worked for me, but now I no longer have the patience to sit in traffic and waste ever more expensive gas. Instead, I do most of my shopping on the web.

But where to look? The big department stores all have good websites, but I prefer places that specialize on home and garden decor. Some of them have thousands of products, all nicely grouped by category. Be it tabletop fountains, glass figurines, collectible dolls, Americana, items for festive occasions or wall ornaments, you'll find dozens or hundreds. And you may even be able to shop by price range, which comes in handy when you to stay within your budget. So plan your project and then shop smart!