1) I love family decorating because it's not pretentious. As a family we are not trying to keep up with the "Jones down the street. We are decorating our house to showcase the members of our family and all the fantastic accomplishments they've made.

One of our daughters is a ballerina, two more are cheerleaders and our son a paint ball commando. We have pictures and trophies of them in all the rooms of the house.

We want to showcase those special talents so that anyone coming into our house will know exactly what were about as a family, will realize that here lives one awesome family and can celebrate life with us.

2) I love family decorating because it involves the whole family. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go style shopping.

We get to see different styles of decorating ending up at one of our favorite restaurant where we have a great time discussing what we liked and didn't like, how we could incorporate any of the ideas into our home and how life would be different if we did the ideas.

When we decided to paint the upstairs hall my son said he wanted to help. He not only helped but practically did the whole job by himself.

He and I gained more respect for each other, the hall got painted and all the family knew that Joey was soon to be Joe.

3) I love family decorating because it forces me to think outside the box. We have used ribbons and medals won by the kids for tie back holders.

Someone in your family a golfer? An old wood or retired iron club mounted on a cornice board makes a fantastic den window treatment and conversation piece.

One of my personal favorites is using a fishing fly rod as a decorator drapery rod for an arched window. Go one step further and attach netting material to the fly rod as drapery panels. Finish it off by using fishing lures and line for the tie backs.

When we decorate as a family we use those things that we are passionate about. Not some "thingie" that we found in a decorators showroom that has no meaning to our family.

4) I love family decorating because were creating a home place and not a showplace. A showplace focuses on what you can buy and makes your house one big status symbol. Unfortunately thats what society calls "grand".

A big expensive house that is full of cold expensive "thingies" showcasing what you can buy. Somehow that doesn't sound very exciting to me. How do you feel?

A home place, on the other hand, focuses on what the family is all about. What the family likes, what type of activities they are into and what they stand for as a family.

When you walk into a home place you are immediately struck by the fact that here lives and loves one fantastic family.

5) I love family decorating because as a family we are really getting to know one another. Family decorating allows us the opportunity to rely on each other strengths and abilities. This is called bonding, getting comfortable with each other and family memory making.

When we work together like this for one common goal we create memories that will last a lifetime and will be talked about and passed down to the grand kids at family gatherings many years down the road.

When family members each go their separate ways with out time to get to know one another then day by day the family structure is torn down and there is little left to rally around in times of sorrow and trouble.

Summary:

Family Decorating is fun, involves things that have meaning for our family and leaves an inheritance to our children and grandchildren. Try family decorating just once and you'll never go back to cold meaningless decorating again.