I don't know about you, but I am starting to get some serious spring fever. We may have several weeks of winter left, but that hasn't stopped me from scouting out ways to welcome the sunshine. Here are five easy things you can do to encourage an early spring at your house.

Spring fever tip #1: Now is a lovely time to force some flowering bulbs like pristine paperwhites. These flowers bloom quickly and will last long enough to give you that extra boost until things start blossoming again outside. Buy a kit, or try this tutorial.

It's shocking to me how ugly my house is.

It shouldn't be, I mean, I work from home (I use the term "work" loosely here), which means I'm firmly ensconced in my fugly house most hours of the day. But somehow, I started accepting the fug as normal, and that's when the wheels came a-flyin' off the train.

For years, YEARS, I've worked in an office (read: my dining room) that was painted such an atrocious shade of green that it made me actually angry to look at the walls. I hear green is supposed to be soothing, but let me tell you, this sort of "cat pee on plasterboard look" is what they probably paint prisons with if they want the inmates to start brawling. It's that bad.

Or it was.

This weekend, because I have a party in which people may actually show up and see the fug in person, I realized it was time for a change.

And now.

Most years, we like to put our Christmas tree up during Thanksgiving weekend. We ignore Black Friday and instead, we embrace our inner homebodies and use the time to prep and dream for the holiday excitement to come. 

I'm not sure when Christmas trees arrive in France -- this year will definitely be an adventure -- but I love the idea of purchasing a series of small live trees and potting them in various containters to dot around the house. I imagine it would make every room feel festive, and smell fresh. Take a look at these images and tell me what you think. 

All right, everyone, let’s do a self-esteem exercise: Wrap your arms around yourself and say, “I like me!” Did that make you feel better? Or just a bit ridiculous? I know. There’s a fine line between healthy self-esteem and, uh, being conceited.

I can’t decide which side of that line many popular décor items fall on. On the one hand, I love homemade things, I love original art, and I love when people creatively take charge of their own environments.
 
On the other hand… well, see what you think of these home-decorating elements that require just a bit too much owner input for my taste.

We all get the itch to change up our home decor now and again, but it's not always possible or practical to replace furniture or to paint the entire house. So let's start smaller with something that we all have: family photos.

But instead of just framing and hanging, think a little differently with these clever ideas for displaying photos in your home. I can't decide which one to try first.

His & Hers Chairs a la Bella & EdwardHow many of you Twilight Saga fans read the books and then promptly fantasized about moving into the Cullen family's modern home set in the deep green forest? Well, so did two homeowners Whitney and Robert, and HGTV's Color Splash designer David Bromstad totally made a Twilight-inspired makeover happen for the Twi-hard couple for an upcoming episode.

Trust me, I watched a sneak peek and this makeover project will leave you drooling for a room makeover of your own. Bromstad's home design ideas capture both the rustic and whimsical fantasy of the feverishly popular movie and book franchises. Plus, one of our favorite vampires pops in at the unveiling!

Check out this amazing The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 home makeover.

November is only a week away, which means hibernation mode is near and a whole lot of kids will be saying, "I'm bored." While I have a moment before the whirlwind of the holidays starts, I'm saving project ideas to fill those days of being cooped up inside. Here are some of my favorites to make from a good old cardboard box, something we all have lying around or will after opening all those Christmas packages!