Home Staging Workshop- A Success!

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Home Staging

Before-Main Living area

This past Monday and Tuesday I attended a Home Staging Workshop in Skokie, IL given by Lori Matzke, from Center Stage Home, a pioneer in the Home Staging world. She started her company in 1999 and hasn’t looked back. It was a hands on workshop and I loved every minute of it.

Lucky for us there were a couple of late minute cancellations which left us with lots of quality time with Lori. We worked hard, laughed a ton and learned a lot! We did the main focal rooms in the house. Living Room, Dining Room, Sunroom and a little Study.

I am working toward for my designation as a Home Staging Expert and soon as I submit my final project I will earn that. This was an interesting area in the main Living Room that we decided rather than take down, which would leave huge holes in the walls, we would try to just make it look, well….. useable, or at the very least mesh with the room. The new home owners can take it down.

 

Before Cabinet in Sunroom

This dark green cabinet in the dark sunroom, with the dirty carpet needed a little refreshing. I decided to give it a neutral summer look. Ideally, the room would have been painted and the carpets windows and screens cleaned but since this home is no longer occupied we didn’t have that luxury.

 

After

 

Thank you Lori for a great workshop…..you rock!

Friday’s Flowers

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Floral Arrangments, Friday's Flowers

While recently surfing blogland (sorry I don’t remember which one) I read a post about two friends who walked together every morning. What one of the girls loved most about visiting the others home was she always had fresh flowers on her countertop. Not the expensive kind delivered to her door but just the plain ol’ cellophane wrapped ones like these.

A lightbulb went off in my head! There is nothing I love more than fresh flowers. Why do we only buy them for special occasions? Why don’t we celebrate every week with flowers? I could drink one less Starbucks and my hubby could drink one less Energy drink and that would pay for the flowers. This bunch only cost me $7.99. So, I decided that I am going to try to keep fresh flowers in the house more often, too.  Maybe every Friday! Call it Friday’s Flowers. We’ll see how it goes.

I will not bore you with how I did the arrangement. It is pretty self-explanatory. I did have to add some Lilly’s and Hosta leaves that were in my backyard. I have never tucked Hostas into arrangements before and it’s kind of hard to see them but I think I would love to use them again in a very contemporary way. So, here’s the finished product. Boy, do I wish I had a garden full of flower’s now.

Happy Weekend!

Getting ready for Christmas Decorating!

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Christmas tree, Visual Merchandising

This card arrived on my doorstep 2 weeks ago. Welcome to the world of Visual Merchandising always getting ready for the next season. Although it did take me by surprise because it just doesn’t seem possible that we are in that 1/2 of the year yet.                    

 

Before I agreed to take on this project, I did a little research. I found out the hard way to always check out companies that I am not familiar with! Williams Creative Group is a Creative Floral Design Servicing Company based out of Nashville, TN. They service stores such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Macy’s, Service Merchandise and many more. They hire designers from all over the US to go into stores and set up Christmas Tree displays, fluff and decorate them as well as other floral design services.

 But really, who knew that there were companies out there that  focus mainly on Christmas Tree set up and design? They told me that they have one retired couple that goes to 15 different stores in their travel trailer and do nothing but Christmas trees. That is how they supplement their retirement. Not a bad gig really!

So, I agreed to take the project and will be doing approximately 24 to 27 trees this October. Wish me luck. I’ll take some pictures and post during the se-tup if I can still hold my arms up.

Just for Fun Shopping Spot

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Outdoor Living, Shopping

Had some extra time on my hands today….stopped by one of my favorite outdoor shopping spots to look for some white accent pieces for my home. I am not a huge fan of the country look as far as decorating but love to browse through just in case! You really can’t help but love a place like this…full of color, flowers planted in almost everything and anything. Just makes me happy. I didn’t score anything today but had a few quiet minutes to myself  looking, daydreaming and enjoying the sunshine.

The owner of the Market is Jennifer Goodlove aka (The Farmer’s Daughter). You can check them out at www.fdmarket.com.

The Farmer's Daughter's Market Welcomes you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I may go back for this one, it has possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The potting shed I presume.

I spotted these little white houses thought they might work for me but still a little to country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Independence Day!

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July 4th Inspiration

In today’s post I was going to share photos from our festivities this weekend. It would have shown different outdoor decorations, all with flags tucked in each one. You also would have seen some adorable photos from my granddaughters 5th birthday party and lastly an alfresco patriotic themed tablescape I did for my husband and I. But as you can see, there are no photos! Put the camera chip in and for some reason there is an error on the chip itself. Let’s just hope I can salvage the photos somehow.

So, instead of focusing on what I lost I am going to focus on what I do have. Because I live in the United States, I have individual freedoms.  I (Declaration of Independence says “we”)  have certain unalienable rights.  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am so proud to be an American and thankful that this 4th of July my family and I are healthy, happy and safe. That is what I am celebrating!

Please take a moment to thank those veterans that have served and all of  those currently in the military that are serving us.  They are the ones that are keeping us free and freedom is not “free” it takes sacrifices from everyone. I have a son that is in the Iowa Army National Guard so this 4th of July,  I am thanking him!

House Speaker John Boehner said today that, “America is much more than a point on the map, and Independence Day is no ordinary birthday. We raise the flag and light up the skies to remind the world that the revolution continues.” “What those brave patriots helped create we must-and we will-help preserve.”

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!