If your house is on the market or if you have guests over frequently you may want to keep your home fresh and lively. This can be done simply by rotating some of the accessories and changing the bedding and pillows. Or it can be more involved by completely rearranging the furnishings every once in awhile and maybe even changing out the color schemes in some or all rooms.

More then one way exists to spruce up the personality of your home. Here are some ideas to keep in mind.

Bedroom(s): If you want to have what looks like a new bedroom every once in awhile, here are some ideas. To keep things as simple as possible and to have the most options it is best to keep the colors on your walls neutral. Change your accessories in the room. This can work really well if you break them into different sets. You can do the same thing for bedding and pillows.

Kitchen: Making the kitchen a little livelier can be as simple as changing out the hand towels, the table settings, and the accessories. Or it can be more involved such as by adding a back splash in the solid tile and changing your counter tops.

Living Room: For a quick and simple change try moving around the furniture and replace that old area rug or add one if you didn’t have one before. Also get rid of old pillows and replace them with new ones. For a more involved change try replacing some or all of the furniture with something newer and more up to date.

Have you ever had one of those moments when things are so bleak that you just burst out laughing? The current ice cold real estate market is having that very effect on a lot of people. If you are down in the dumps, a laugh can help. Just consider the following.

A doctor met an old lawyer friend and asked him what he was doing there. The lawyer replied, “Remember that lousy real estate I bought? Well, it caught fire, so here I am with the fire insurance proceeds. What are you doing here?” The doctor replied, “Remember that lousy real estate I had in Mississippi? Well, the river overflowed, and here I am with the flood insurance proceeds.” The lawyer looked puzzled. “Gee, how did you start the flood?”

Definition of “potential” in real estate ads - Grim. Steer clear unless you have a lot of money and believe your blind dates really did have nice personalities. See “Ready to Rehab,” and “Fixer Upper.”

Definition of “unique downtown loft” in real estate ads - Used to be the drunk tank at the local jail.

The trouble with owning a home is that no matter where you sit, you’re looking at something you should be doing.

Q: When is a one-story house a two-story house? A: You get one story before you buy and the second story after.

Definition of “easy care yard” - The landscaping is dirt, cement and dead plants. It doesn’t get much easier than that when it comes to caring for it.

If you want to know exactly where the property line is, just watch the neighbor cut the grass.

The definition of Homesickness - What you feel every month when the mortgage is due.

Definition of “one of a kind” in real estate ads - Architect was a heroin addict. So ugly, the neighbors are pooling money to have it demolished!

Definition of “sophisticated” in real estate ads - Black walls and no windows. See “Architect’s Delight.”

Nature is all about cycles. Real estate is hardly natural, but it shows the same cycles. Things were red hot five years ago and will be red hot again in a few years. Just hang in there and keep a smile on your face until things come back your way!