(upbeat music) - Hey, welcome.

Are you in love with your home?

Sometimes all you need is a little refresher to revitalize that long lost love with your home.

Coming up next, on "Inspire."

(text sizzles) (gentle music) - [Announcer] "Inspire" is sponsored by the estate of Ray and Ann Goldsmith.

- [Announcer] And the Raymond C. and Marguerite Gibson Foundation and.

- [Announcer] Friends of KTWU, we appreciate your financial support, thank you.

(gently upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Hello, welcome to "Inspire."

I'm excited to be with these wonderful co-hosts, Danielle Norwood, Amy Kelly, and you.

And on today's show, we'll discover the secrets to falling in love with your home all over again.

Today's episode promises to be an exciting exploration of creativity, design and budget-friendly, do-it-yourself.

- Sometimes a little refresh can reignite the passion for the space we cherish.

Today, we'll look at some innovative ways that we can infuse life and personality into our living spaces.

- On today's show, we're joined by Brenda Price, the creative mind behind Absolute Design By Brenda, who will share her expertise on using floral arrangements and decor accents to add that perfect touch of flair and elegance to your home.

Welcome to "Inspire," Brenda.

(hosts clap and laugh) - Hey.

- Thank you, thanks, it's fun being here.

- So tell me how you got into floral design?

- Well, actually, I'm not too sure.

Maybe out of boredom and time to change.

My first career was 25 years with the Santa Fe railway.

- Wow.

- And so after it was time for me to leave, when I became a person I didn't like, so it was time for a change.

Always had a little bit of a creativity background to me, you know, I was busy-hand type person.

So a friend and I went to vo-tech, and take floral design.

I had always used artificial to create anything I wanted to create, but I didn't have fresh flower smarts, so I needed to educate myself on that.

And I found I just enjoyed doing that type of work.

But it was more fun than work.

Then it just went from there, and started my business just a year or two later if that, and I've been doing it now, for over 20 years.

- Wow.

- So tell me this, did your house look all tricked out and pretty, even while you were at the railroad?

Or is this something that you picked up like, totally after you retired from the railroad?

- Not totally.

Like I say, I always kind of had a flair.

It was, you know, it looked like a home raising children.

(group laughs) But I could make it look nicer after I had some more knowledge, so to speak, about it.

- Gotcha.

- Well you brought some beautiful things.

Are these the type of things that you carry in your store?

- They are, they came from my shop.

I've had a storefront for 17 years.

- Oh, wow.

- Wow.

- And I've been downtown for 13.

So these are some things that are there, and I can also use in my home, or anybody could use them in their home.

- Now, of course, these are for the holidays.

- Yes.

- And they could go all through the winter, and there's no Santa.

So there's snowmen- - Yeah.

- You can have, with the snowman.

- The snowman.

- Yeah, and so, and the deer and everything, that can be all winter long.

But it's not just seasonal.

What are some things that you can do like say, August, you know, you want your home to just look beautiful and fresh, what's something that you could suggest?

- Well, for August you can always add fresh flowers, you know, in the center of your table or move some things around, I'm constantly shifting.

It may end up in this room for a while, and then well, I'll change that up.

I'll bring it over here, it brings a different spark.

And maybe you don't see it as you walk through the home all the time.

So it's like, oh, I can enjoy that over here for a while.

I think, just changing things up a bit like that helps.

- So you really do need to have a creative bent because some people are like, I don't have that gift to be kind of, I call it Martha Stewardy, you know?

To be able to move things around and they're like, I need that like, expertise.

Is that something that you can teach people or they can go to you and say, "Hey, can you hook me up with what to do," and then maybe after coming to you for a while, I can kind of pick up on that?

- I think so, yeah.

- Okay.

- Because if people, I suggest that they take a picture of the spot they wanna work with.

- Okay.

- They bring it in, show on their phone.

We can pull some things together and say, "do you like this?"

Or you know, you could probably use this here, place it, you know?

And then we get some things pulled together they like, and then I think, that they can go from there.

- Do you actually do home visits?

- I have, I have.

(group laughs) I certainly have done home visits, and that's fine, but it seems like people are more into maybe doing things themselves nowadays, than 10 years back, yeah.

- Right.

- Are there some like, basic decorating tips and like, in photography, it's like, a rule of thirds.

You want someone to be here and this, are there things like that for those of us that, like Danielle, that are not Martha Stewardy, you know?

(group laughs) That we can tell, 'cause all of my stuff looks like it's lined up for, you know, like, a firing squad.

(group laughs) And I call it, stuff I like, you know?

And that's just, that's- - That doesn't get it.

- [Amy] I can do better, but I don't know how.

What do you suggest?

- That doesn't get it.

(group laughs) If you can layer, bump up, I call it bump up.

- Okay.

- Whether you use a nice-looking old book that has a nice coloring binding on it, you know, to set it up on a book or just whatever it takes.

If you put like, a cloth over something to hide it, whatever.

- Yeah.

- If you don't wanna see what you're bumping up with, even a nice table napkin works great, you know, to bump it up there, get different, and add some texture, whether it would just be, you know, a spark of something.

And to me, that is the most important thing, not to line 'em up.

(group laughs) - No, no lining.

- No lining.

- Okay, so you have that wreath, and you're saying that could also be in the center of a table with something in it, which we'll show later.

- Yeah, wreaths don't always belong on the door.

- The door, they don't have to be on the door or the wall.

- That's right.

- So you brought that bow, which you make down there, at Absolute Design By Brenda's.

- Oh, lots of bows.

- So let's hook that on and give an overview of- - So you can kind of see, it's very plain like this.

- Right.

- And it could go on your door or in the middle of a table with maybe, a family keepsake, a statue or like the snowman- - The snowman, for sure.

- Or whatever, you know, for the season, or a blooming plant, you know?

- Oh.

- Like this, with a pretty, you know, in the holiday time.

- Yeah, even a poinsettia.

- A poinsettia, or an Easter lily even, you know?

we've had snow on Easter before, so I see- - Sure, sure, sure.

- Yeah.

- You know, so it doesn't have to be, but when you just add a touch of something.

- Oh yeah.

- I love that.

- [Betty] It takes on a different personality.

- Oh yeah.

- Oh, wow, that's nice.

- And the bow does not have to be at the top or the bottom, correct?

- No, it can just be- - It can go anywhere?

- However you prefer.

- Okay.

- Whatever fits your fancy.

- I love that.

- That's really nice.

- Yeah, it is.

- Well, and some of us have a tree 365- (Amy laughs) - Like who?

Like who?

- Could it be me?

Well, and I found, 'cause I have seasonal affectedness disorders, so part of my having a tree just helps me to keep, you know, at an even keel.

It helps me, especially, in my bedroom, which, when I first did it, you know, it's like, "oh my lord, what are you doing with the tree up?"

But you can decorate it for different seasons as well.

- Sure.

- So I love the concept of that.

Do you have some ideas for people who want to keep something cool, you know, in their space, that maybe their partner's like, "I don't really think that this necessarily works," but I mean, but you want to, you know, keep them engaged but not necessarily, throw them off (group laughs) by having a tree.

'Cause I do, I have like, a almost eight-foot tree that is up in my room, and I just think it's absolutely gorgeous.

- Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with having that, if that is your pleasure.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

- What makes you feel good?

- It speaks to me.

- Yes, what makes you feel good.

And maybe, come Valentine's, you can hang some hearts off of it.

- Exactly.

- You know, you can switch it up.

We have a beautiful flock tree at the store and we didn't put it up this year, use it this year, but we always transitioned it into hearts and stuffed animals and- - Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

- And all that and nothing easier to transition seasonal, than a tree.

- Exactly.

- Oh yeah.

- And so that's the- - That's perfect.

- Comfort of that.

- Exactly.

- Well, are you intrigued?

We hope so.

(group chuckles) After the break we continue our discussion with Brenda, on ways you can add flair with floral arrangements.

Do stay with us.

(bright upbeat music) - We're back.

We've been talking with Brenda Price of Absolute Design By Brenda.

And we have you in your element right here, with all these different design pieces.

Talk about how we could put together a few things that are seasonal.

Not necessarily, just for the holiday season, but for like, even winter season.

Show us like, some of the things that you could do, like, even with this deer.

- Yeah.

Well, it seems right now, and has been for a spell, that popular decorating in the home, as far as walls, furniture, is the white, gray, silver tones.

And so the nice thing about that, in my opinion, is you can add any color that you want to enhance it with.

And so this deer would definitely be, you know, the winter piece, go clear throughout the winter.

But if you wanted to change it up, you could just add this little wreath around its nice neck.

- Nice, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

- So he becomes, with some flair around his neck.

- Nice.

- And then the frosted winter look, (plants rustle) we have a lot of different pines and berries, and a lot of times the look depends on the quality of the product you're using.

- Oh, yeah.

- That's what I feel.

- That's beautiful.

- So that changes that up, rather than just the deer setting there, on the table.

- Right, and you come upon this, you know, in January and February, you could come upon that.

- Absolutely.

- You know?

- And clear through February.

That's why snowmen have gotten so popular I think, 'cause people feel like they can decorate and leave it up really, clear through February, Valentine's, till we're ready to go into spring.

- True.

- So how would all this change when you get into spring, as you were saying?

'Cause right now, we have gray and whites, which are really versatile colors.

- Yeah.

- That's very helpful.

So what happens, you know, would you still wanna keep the deer in April or May?

Or what would be different?

- Well, since he's sparkly, I would probably take him away.

(group laughs) If he wasn't sparkly, country homes, you know, I live in the country so I'd be happy to have any type of deer still part of my decor, if he wasn't sparkled.

- Right.

- Yeah.

- Right, so there are a few rules like that.

And see now, you put the bow on that wreath- - Yeah.

- Earlier, but that you could take the bow off if you wanted, but that really flounces it up even more.

- It does.

- I think that's beautiful.

- Yeah.

- Yes, it's really nice.

- And it adds a sparkle, and then by just putting (snowman jingles) the snowman into the center of it.

- Yeah.

- Which is so cute.

- He has not near the appeal, out of the wreath, as he does, in the wreath.

- Yeah, but now, he's a go-to focal point.

What about that photograph?

- Family pictures, it's always nice; maybe I'll just take the deer away for a bit.

- Okay, come on down here deer.

(group laughs) - Yeah, there you go.

And just, even if it, in the wintertime, just by adding a touch of, there again- - Oh.

- That's beautiful.

- You can add to it.

- Oh, but that's nice.

- And then come spring, pull that away.

Any speck of greenery just enhances and changes the look of whether it's a picture or you know, a family heirloom or whatever.

It just makes a whole different look.

- Do you recommend the artificial greenery or the real greenery?

'Cause some, you know, what do you recommend?

- I'm pretty much, into artificial.

(laughs) - Artificial, so it lasts longer?

- And there again, if you have a nice quality, it just looks nice.

- But I can even see that like, you know, with Easter egg- - Sure, yeah.

- Type things, there's those little yellow flowers- - Oh, yeah, add some grass around the bottom- - And it's multi-use, which I love because again, you use that for the deer, but then you also use that for the picture.

- Yeah.

- But you could also use that for Easter eggs and other things.

- Absolutely.

- And this particular piece we were talking about, that you could use that as an arbor for like, cabinets or a hutch.

So I like the fact that there are many different things.

'Cause some people might say, oh, it's too expensive.

There's no way that I can actually do this on a budget.

But there are plenty of ways that you can DIY, using these pieces on a budget.

- Yeah, absolutely.

- Talk about that.

- Yeah, there again, like, switching it out, you know, putting it one place, and then another.

Like, a lot of things would work around that spray 'cause it still gives you, I'm kind of a dish freak, and so it compliments dishes, of different color plates on an easel.

- Oh, yeah.

- You know, just bump up an easel and you can work it around that.

And if you have something on top of your cabinets, then just, you don't have to put it straight across, you know, or anything.

(Amy laughs) Do an accent here, there.

And that's another thing in our homes, I don't totally decorate like I used to.

We change as we grow older, our ideas, and accents here and there, maybe on top of the bar.

And of course, and center of the table or just a bookshelf, just a small green plant back in there.

Or just focus on areas is very uplifting to the home.

I think, gives it a new spark, bright look.

- I love that.

- 'Cause this could even be a table runner too.

- Yeah.

- It sure could.

- Well, Amy's always talking about, you know, having it come off the table, the edge just a little bit.

- That helps this- - You can put lights on here.

- Oh sure.

- You know, just a variety of things.

And the tree down there, in front, I mean, you know, that's the winter feel.

But I've seen trees without the flocking, that they put little Easter eggs on, and that type of thing.

- Sure and just, any kind of greens, you know?

And even if you have bushes that need trimmed, outside your home or cedar and stuff.

- Yeah.

- You know?

You can easily cut that and bring it, put it in water, and greens actually last a number of days.

And change it out.

- And the smell.

- Yeah, if you like that cedar smell.

- So it sounds like, while there aren't set hard and fast rules, having a couple of staple pieces is not a bad idea, for example, like greenery.

- Yeah.

- Because it's very versatile.

You can change it.

Pictures, family pictures are good things you can switch in and out.

You can switch the picture.

You can switch the frame.

- Yeah.

- And then keep redecorating.

And then, like you mentioned earlier, at one of the breaks is, you know, putting things on heights and then maybe covering- - Adjusting levels.

- Covering something with a cloth or something, and change out the colors of the cloth.

So these are really basic things that anybody can do.

- Easy to do do, and minimal money's involved, really.

- Yes.

- To change out.

- Would you pass me that red, your red little scarf there?

I was just thinking- - It's just a piece of wide ribbon.

- It's just a piece, oh, well see, but I mean, I don't know, just something like even the deer, because then that accents his little, I mean, you could make it look nicer.

- Yeah.

- But you know, put this little flocking, oh boy.

(group chatters and claps) (group laughs) - You're so proud.

- If I can do that, you can do that.

- Anyone.

And then using a variety of different cans.

- Yeah.

- Because you could like, use the big like, you know, pork and beans can.

- Yes.

- And the different levels of cans, and then put that over that- - Oh, that would be cute.

- And then have different levels, you know?

I mean, nobody's seeing the cans.

- No, you don't see- - All they're seeing is this particular piece.

- Tupperware bowls work great.

- Tupperware bowls, absolutely.

- Oh, I never thought of that.

- Little square things that aren't very high.

- Oh sure.

- You know, and books are just good 'cause they come in all sizes and depths and you can use them.

And especially like, if you have a nice lamp you wanna bump up.

- Oh yeah.

- That's nice with books, so it doesn't take much- - Well, you're a wealth of information.

- (laughs) It doesn't take much.

- Well, thank you very much Brenda, for your time and your information and for sharing your passion and talents with us today.

- Thanks.

- Now, coming up next, we'll talk to some of the volunteers of the Topeka Habitat for Humanities, Women Build Week, who are helping to turn houses into homes for members of our community.

So please stay with us.

(upbeat music) - Women Build Week is really our effort to make the build site a more welcoming and comfortable place.

Sometimes it can be a little bit intimidating to show up on a construction site if you're not sure what to expect.

And so Women Build is really about empowering the women in our community to learn new skills, to work with each other and to really be advocates for affordable housing in our community.

- I think, it's probably about breaking the stereotypes of what it means to be in, you know, building and in construction, and tearing down that fear that some women have about, you know, getting involved in such a physical and laborious part of community building.

So I think to me, Women's Build Week is just getting outta your comfort zone and building relationships across different organizations of different groups.

- Our volunteers for Women Build Week really run the gamut of women in Topeka.

So a lot of our volunteers show up without really any skills or very minimal sort of construction DIY skills.

They come from different companies in town, stay at home moms, retired individuals, we really have just about everybody represented.

During the week we have a lot of repeat volunteers that come for every Women Build, every year, because it's just such a good experience.

- So Women Build Week is a week set aside specifically, for women in the community to come and work on a Habitat house.

And of course, we have men and women volunteering all the time for Habitat.

But this is a special week to highlight the effort of women.

And it's often women leaders, women in the building profession.

We have attorneys, we have people in finance, we have just community volunteers who do other things.

It's really fun and it's very empowering.

- Usually, when volunteers sign up with us, when they get here for the day, we'll go over kind of the safety guidelines on how to stay safe, and what we're gonna be accomplishing for the day.

And then our construction manager will walk everyone through exactly how to do whatever the task is that needs to be accomplished for that day.

We like to work with people in pairs, so we'll pair everybody up.

So you always have a buddy, it's a little safer that way.

But really, we will teach everything from, you know, using power tools to laying flooring.

Yesterday we hung cabinets in the kitchen.

So we frame the houses with volunteers.

We do a lot of the carpentry with volunteers.

- There's something really neat that happens when it's a group of women working together.

And we all, I like to think we all work on this house as if it was our own, each house, right?

Because this is gonna be someone's house, someone's first house, and we want it to be just as nice as if we were painting it or drywalling it.

But we wanna make sure that we are doing our very, very best work because the homeowners are special and they work really, really hard to get their home.

And we wanna make sure that we do a good job, when we're here, volunteering our skills.

(bright upbeat music) - Thank you, to all the amazing volunteers at Topeka Habitat, for sharing their time and talents.

And speaking of all of these talents, I know girls, that we can do something with this.

And Amy, since you say that you just line everything up, (Amy laughs) what would you do here, that could be different?

- Actually, I'm glad you asked because now, you know, I always had the fear to try because what if it came out of, and I've had the experience where I've done something, they're like, "oh yeah, that didn't work."

Okay, well.

(Danielle and Betty laughs) Yeah, I was just, I didn't wanna do that anyway.

But now, well, I'm gonna try.

- Yeah.

- I mean, why not?

And try to do, think the ideas of having some greenery and always put something in front.

Or put some things in different levels and so and like, you know, and don't line things.

(laughs) - And textures, things like textures.

- Oh, yeah.

- Okay, so we put this down.

- For texture, right.

- You know, but you could take this little thing, put it through here, that would be different.

And can you reach that little one over there?

And then I don't know- - That looks like pussy willow.

- It may not look as good, but, you know, then he's out here, in the woods.

- Ain't that pretty?

- You know?

(laughs) - That looks good.

- That works.

- Well, it's just fun.

- Yeah.

- I love to do it, but you have to have a lot of stuff.

- Yes, you do.

- You know?

And Absolute Design By Brenda, she has so many things, gift ideas.

She's right downtown.

- Yes.

- Shop's small.

- Yes.

- Downtown Topeka, we went, 'cause you know- - I think it's at six- - 629 South Kansas.

- Right, yeah, it's in Topeka.

- And we definitely, 'cause you got me a beautiful, you know, candy and balloon, and wonderful arrangement when I first started, over at Magic 107.7.

And that came from her place, and so she does do deliveries and everything.

- Right.

- And we want to encourage people to shop local because again, 70 to 80 cents of every dollar stays right here, in this community.

So please, as you're thinking about shopping throughout the year, not just the holiday season.

- Right.

- Please keep it here, local.

- Yeah, and she always has fun stuff.

- Yes.

- For every season, you know, scarves, last minute gift ideas, new jobs, babies, the whole thing, and the fresh flowers.

- Oh, wow.

- You go in there and that- - And then the smell.

- It's just so, ah.

- Ah.

- I love it.

I love it, you know, and creativity.

She'll help you if you don't know, you have no idea, you know?

'Cause I told her a few things, but then she goes, "well what about this, what about this, what about this?"

And things you might not have thought of, but then you go in there and it's just amazing.

- Well, and she even said, you can take a picture of like, I've got this empty hole, I don't really know what to do with it.

And bring it in, and she can give you some ideas and things like that.

- Okay, and let me say spouses, if you wanna be in there with your partner, (Betty and Amy laugh) why don't you get a gift certificate, so your person- - Ooh.

- That's a great idea.

- Can get like, fresh flowers every week or maybe every month, like a flower of the month.

(Betty laughs) You know what I'm saying?

- Yeah.

- You're absolutely right.

- Who doesn't like beautiful fresh flowers?

And their special- - Wouldn't that be wonderful?

- Hello, and they go and they pick their flowers every single week or every single month.

And you'd be like, look at me, I'm a hero.

That's what I'm talking about.

I mean, just something like that.

- I love that.

- I'm gonna get that for me, for Christmas.

- That's what I'm saying.

- I want that.

- Self-care.

- Yeah, self-care.

- Self-care.

(upbeat music) - Okay, now, we hope that you're gonna do the same.

That is all the time we have for today.

We do hope you've been inspired by our conversations.

And as a reminder, you can watch this program again at watch.ktwu.org.

- And if you are so inspired to learn more about our guests, find out what's coming up on future shows, and to get access to additional content, be sure to visit our website at www.ktwu.org/inspire.

- Inspiring women, inspiring homes, inspiring you on KTWU, thank you for watching.

(upbeat music continues) - [Announcer] "Inspire" is sponsored by the estate of Ray and Ann Goldsmith.

- [Announcer] And the Raymond C. and Marguerite Gibson Foundation and.

- [Announcer] Friends of KTWU, we appreciate your financial support, thank you.