To save money you may be either having a romantic dinner in for two or a dinner party with friends, here is a table setting that will not break the bank.

• Simple white square plates
• Bamboo place mats
• Red cloth napkins
• Interesting red glass candle stick holders (you can find these cheap at Pier 1)
• "Love" dessert plates (look for these at your local thrift shop or Marshall's)
  

This year many of us will probably be staying in on Valentine's Day to save money. To make your home feel special and different than normal day to day life you may want to add a little ambiance. Let me show you how to do this with out breaking the bank.

Candles - Candles are one the easiest ways to create romance in your home. Don't go out to places like Bath and Body Works or Yankee Candle and buy those expensive candles. Go to your local craft store where they will usually be selling candles for a couple of dollars, also try the dollar store you never know what you will find there.

Flowers - Flowers bring a feeling of romance and freshen the air in your home. Go to your local grocery store and pick up a boutique of flowers, if you go for something other than roses it will cost you much less, roses tend to be overpriced this time of the year.

Champagne Glasses - Adding a few champagne glasses filled with colorful beads will add an extra boost to any centerpiece or mantel. Wine, Martini or other fancy glassware works as well.

Music - Even though music is not technically part of your decor, it will enhance the romance of your home. Make a play list of the most romantic songs you have and play it all Valentine's Day, it will relieve your stress and let you enjoy your Valentine's Day at home.

A great way to save money and give your kitchen a new look is by painting the walls a new color. Today, I'll be discussing great colors for kitchens with white cabinets.

Almost any color goes with white cabinets. I will you ideas to go with different counter tops and themes. To see what any of these colors might look like in your home go to www.sherwin.com/visualizer

Counter Tops

• Butcher Block - Reds, real red (bold look) and cherry tomato (more casual look), Greens, country squire and kilkenny, Blues, adriatic blue and candid blue, Browns, sturdy brown is one for a dark look if you take the brown too light the room will look very washed out, and finally Oranges, marquis orange and serape both of these colors are for people who love bold color.
  
• Stainless Steel - Play of the stainless steel with these colors: Blues, dignified (dark) and blue beyond (light), Reds, poinsettia (dark) and coral bells (light), Purples, fabulous grape (bold and warm) and impulsive purple (bold and cool) and Gray, dovetail (modern look).
  
• Dark Colors (blacks, dark greens, dark blues, etc.) - Yellows, daisy (bold), brittlebush (warm casual) and lemon twist (light and airy) and Greens, witty green (light) and pinic (light).
  
• Light Colors (whites, light blues, light greens, etc.) - Same yellows and greens as the dark colors and Reds, rave red (dark and warm) and Blues, indigo blue (dark and cool)

If you have a small kitchen go with one of the lighter colors that I have recommended, but if you have a larger kitchen pick whichever one you like best.

Themed Kitchens with White Cabinets

• Retro Themed - Retro kitchens are based around primary colors stick with the dark reds, dark blues and yellows that I mentioned above.
  
• Traditional - Choose one of the light colors or a dark blue or dark red above.
  
• Casual - Anything goes here its more important that the color makes you feel good, but it is a rule of thumb to stay away from dark reds and dark blues because they are scene as more formal colors.
  
• Modern - To give your kitchen a modern feel choose a blue or one of the colors that I have mentioned as cool.

Remember all the colors that I have recommended are available anywhere Sherwin-Williams paints are sold.

Having a romantic candle lite Valentine's Day dinner at home is a great way to save money while creating great memories to share with your loved one. I'll show you how to set a romantic atmosphere at the dinner table.

1. Start with a nice set or glass or white plates they can be dressed up for any occasion, which saves you money in the long run.
2. Use a red plate charger to liven up your plate setting, this one from saveoncrafts.com is only $3.99 each.
3. Use cloth napkins they have a more elegant look than paper and you can use them again and again.
4. If you don't have glass candle stick holders pick a couple of them up at your local craft store they usually cost around $1.00 each. Also get two tapered white candles to go in them. Place the candles in the center of the table between the two place setting and push them apart so that when you are sitting at the table you are able to see the person sitting across from you.
5. You can or cannot include place mats under your place setting. If you would like to choose a black or dark wood color these colors will go great with the dark red chargers and napkins.
6. When choosing items for the romantic table stay away from pink, it is not so much romantic as it is cute.
7. Another nice touch is a very small glass vase with one or two roses. Make sure that the vase and roses are short enough that you can see the person across from you and should be located in the very center of the table setting.

Enjoy dinner! I will have more interesting Valentine's Day ideas as the weeks go on.