Hot & Bothered

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Photo Credit: CG

Oh sure, even us married old gals at times need to remind ourselves that we need to turn the sizzle meter up a notch or two. Since spring is getting ready to spring and love should be "in the air" why not add a little sex appeal to your home?

Whether you are looking to start a new relationship or just stir up an existing one, love is where the heart is - and the heart spends more time at home than anywhere else. So . . . lets add some sex appeal and turn up the sizzle in our rooms.

Take a trip down memory lane and open up your photo albums. Select a dozen of your favorite photos; pictures of you, pictures of you and your special someone. Don't worry about whether they are current or old; we are going to have them enlarged and copied in black and white. Not only are black and white photos sexier and more alluring than coloured photos, they are also timeless.

The secret is to select photos of the two of you dancing or embracing-look closely in the photo. See if you can perhaps have it cropped to become a close-up of a kiss or embrace.

If the photos are of you alone, look for photos of you on a trip to Paris, at a beach, or with a come-hither smile. Think of the photos your favorite movie star might display on a bedroom dresser or fireplace mantel - we've all seen them.

Now take the photos, along with your cropping and enlarging instructions, to a local photo shop. While you wait for the photos, shop for a selection of 5x8 and 5x10 frames (varying the sizes is best) with silver or black frames. These colours work best with black and white photos.

Candlelight and romance are synonymous, so we need to add a little candlelight to our rooms. For spring, glass votive candleholders and tea light candles are best. Line a row of six or eight along a fireplace mantle, or five of these little gems on a rectangular coffee table. You can also add some along the edge of the bathtub, nightstands, foyer table, and island bar top - basically anywhere. Pillar candles also work. I prefer the pastel coloured candles for this season.

Take a look around at the artwork you have hung. Does it symbolize romance? Perhaps it is time to shop for a piece or two of erotic or more romance-inducing art: bodies entwined, a lovers embrace, a pair of doves, (for good Feng Shui hang a picture of a pair of swans in the living room). You get the picture!

You may also want to create your own sexy art. Take a large piece of canvas and paint the background any colour your want, solid or mottled. Then put on a very lacy teddy or nightgown (not a good one because you are going to throw it away after this art project).

Next take a roller full of paint and roll the front of your body - yes, with the teddy on - in a contrasting paint colour. Next, lay yourself down on that canvas, being careful not to move around too much. The goal is to leave a sexy body impression. Get up carefully and admire your personal body painting. Hang and enjoy.

Or you could also hang a mirror instead of a picture. Mirrors, especially strategically placed, are downright sexy. Try standing an oversized mirror against the wall opposite your bed, above the fireplace mantel or on the floor in the living room - placed just so you can always catch a glimpse of the two of you snuggled on the couch.

Fresh exotic flowers are always sexy, and they will bring alluring scents to a room. For spring use frosted and clear glass vases to hold arrangements. Feng Shui principles suggest displaying a pair of roses in a vase in your living room, dining room, or bedroom to bring love into those areas of your home.

It's time to change the flannel sheets on the bed and opt for sexy satin and crisp cottons. Remember it's spring, so you will need to lighten up the coverings and place the seductive textures you desire next to your skin.

Love is not only in the air but throughout your home! J'adore decor!