Stage Happy

Valentine Gift Presentation

2012-02-14T11:32:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,
This link will be up for a few days. Enjoy the presentation that was featured at the ASID designers meeting recently. We had to edit out my jokes because of time issues. So it's not funny. :( The sound is just okay but the pictures and information are valuable. Enjoy! If it doesn't start right away, click on it again. 50 minutes. I'd love feedback.

Staging Presentation

ASID Designers Opportunities

2012-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

ASID members,

How very nice to meet so many of my colleagues in design. 40 turned out for the event. Thank you for joining us Thursday night for a short presentation on Real Estate Staging. Also, thank you for signing up for more info about a special class for design professionals.

E-mail for special designer pricing on our Online Certification Class.

One more thing... you may be interested in our April 6th and 7th, Advanced 2-day Class with many guest speakers for $275. Details are on the previous blog post.

2012 EVENTS and Convention News

2012-01-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Be sure to mark your calendars for April 6th and 7th. We are holding an Advanced Class and Gradute Convention. It will be a reunion for Transformations grads and continuing education opportunity for any veteran stagers or redesigners. Anyone interested in Staging is welcome but the focus is on new trends, marketing, extra streams of income. We will feature super stars in the fields of organizing, move management, business, social media. A lot of bang for your buck.

It will cost $275 and includes gourmet lunches and snacks. There will be many goodies and a drawing for the Grand Prize. TBD

The agenda will be posted by the end of January.

Our hotel is the Hampton Inn Suites at 13733 Beach Blvd. Jax, Fl. 32224, phone 904-223-0222. They have a free shuttle to the class. Get a reservation ASAP. $75 deposit will reserve your space at the convention. Look for a Pay Pal button by January 25.

Ribbons and Raindeer and Bows, Oh My...

2011-12-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

I have always loved driving past this beautiful home on the intracoastal waterway. It reminds me of the house in the movie, the Prince of Tides. This December, the holiday decorations spoke volumes about the delightful people who must live there.

I called the homeowners and asked if I could photo this imaginative display. They graciously agreed, I'm happy to report.

The main ingrediant... miles of glittery, colorful ribbon, wrapped and twisted around wreaths and raindeer. White lights embellish all the groupings and a few small trees.

Beautiful ornaments hang from the ceiling and wreaths hang from each window. Magnificent! I loved it all.

At night, you can see pink and green lighted trees inside the house. Too perfect!

In the next post, we'll go inside. Happy New Year to you all.

A True Christmas Story

2011-12-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

I shared this story once before but I've been asked to share it again...

In these uncertain times, there is comfort in remembering and celebrating the traditions of Christmas. This special season gives us an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for simple things, such as family, faith and home.

It seems more important than ever for us to know that God “speaks” to us today. So I feel compelled to share with you a new chapter in the strange and wonderful Rainbow Story that began in April of ‘07. Many of you may remember the beginning of this story from last year:

My cute, tender-hearted and glamorous 83 year old mother, Eileen, went ”home” to heaven on Friday 4-27-07 after a very brief illness. Mom was known as the “go-to” person for prayer in our family. At the funeral, many people came to the front of the chapel and shared stories of answered prayer, some quite remarkable.

Mom’s favorite passage in the Bible is Psalm 91. She recited this prayer of protection for her family every day. Her favorite verse was Psalm 91:11. “He will give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.” That same verse was on a picture right outside the ICU door at Florida Hospital. Psalm 91 was the preselected reading in Mom’s church at the regular Sunday service 4-29-07, two days before the funeral. The number 91 has appeared in various places throughout the year. Coincidence? I think not!

On Friday afternoon, the day of her passing, as many friends and family were telling wonderful “Eileen” stories in my sister Mary Ann’s kitchen, I looked up toward heaven and said, “Mom, are you hearing this? Isn’t this amazing?” At that exact moment, a family friend who lives across the lake called and told us all to run out side. There, before our eyes, was the most glorious rainbow. As long as I can remember, a rainbow has been Mom’s sign from God that “Everything is gonna be alright.” We all had goosebumps and grins as we stood there in the brief sun shower.

Since then, rainbows have been turning up everywhere.

*There was a rainbow on the TV as we turned it off the night before the funeral.

*Mary Ann’s personal assistant’s daily inspirational message on her computer for May 1st, the day of the funeral, included a large picture of a rainbow.

*My 6 year-old grandson, who knew nothing about the story (and usually draws rockets and robots), drew a picture for me of, you guessed it—a rainbow.

*The following Friday, May 4th, my husband Chips ran inside as he arrived home from work and asked me to quickly turn on the radio. We listened to the most delightful rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. We went out and bought the CD and played it non-stop for days.

*A few days later, I was looking for a Mother’s Day card to send to my Dad, sisters and brother. To my surprise, Hallmark offered a musical card with a rainbow picture on the front. When I opened it, the song inside the card was none other than the one that we had been listening to non-stop. I had a goosebump experience in the store. Coincidence? I think not!

* On Mom’s Birthday, May 25th, some of the family was at the beach for Memorial week-end. A beautiful rainbow appeared in the morning over the ocean.

* June 1st, at a concert, rainbow flags waved over us right above where we were seated in a packed auditorium.

Many more rainbows have appeared over the course of time, usually on or around our birthdays. For instance, in January of ‘08, while we were in St. Augustine to celebrate Janice’s birthday, we walked out of a store, and there it was, her rainbow peeking out from behind a cloud. We had just been talking about the rainbow story.

The best chapter, so far, of this wonderful story happened to Mary Ann last December ‘07. At that time in her life, everything that meant “home” to her had been somewhat disrupted: Her law firm was going through a difficult and emotional transition and she was facing the teardown and remodel of her beautiful waterfront home that held so many memories. Many other things were unsettled and most of all, this would be her first Christmas without Mom.

In the midst of all the chaos, Mary and Pat decided to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary, which was 10 days before Christmas, with a getaway trip to California wine country. They had some Marriott vacation points that were about to expire.

I need to back up a bit and tell you that when Mary was a little girl, Mom would occasionally give her an early Christmas present if she was upset about something. She was the youngest of the girls. So, in the beginning of December, we told her to expect an early Christmas present from Mom. Of course, we didn’t have any idea what that might be.

Back to Napa Valley— On the last day of the trip, the actual Anniversary, after visiting the last winery, Pat decided to take a different route back to the hotel. After turning the car around and heading up the hill, there in all its glory, was a magnificent rainbow in the blue sky. There was no rain anywhere that they could see. Pat said, “Now I’ve got goosebumps.” They snapped a picture before the rainbow faded. Mary was crying when she called from her cell phone to say that her present from Mom had arrived. She was beginning to feel that “everything was gonna be alright,” which is the rainbow message. But that is not the end of the story.

They decided to make one additional stop before leaving the area and chose the winery where the rainbow had appeared. The first thing they saw as they entered the building’s lobby/gift area was a limited edition print of a gorgeous rainbow over Napa Valley. Major goosebumps this time. Needless to say, they bought the picture. Coincidence? Certainly not! But that is STILL not the end of the story.

The day after Christmas, we were all standing around in Mary’s kitchen talking about the 2 California rainbows, so she brought in the picture for us to see. I looked at the limited edition number at the bottom of the picture (which no one else had noticed) and I was momentarily speechless. It was number 91 (out of 100 prints). Psalm 91, remember, was Mom’s favorite scripture passage. Tears and more goosebumps. We felt like we had been sprinkled all over with pixie dust.

Think about it—God had to line things up perfectly. In California, if Pat had not turned around, they would have missed the first rainbow. If they had not stopped one more time, they would have missed the second rainbow, the picture in the winery. If just one more or one less person had purchased a picture before they got there, the limited edition number would not be significant. Out of 100 pictures that were printed, what are the chances that they would get number 91? One in 100! What are the chances that the 91st rainbow picture would be on display in this particular winery moments after a rainless rainbow appeared in the sky directly above. One in a million, maybe. I can almost hear Mom talking to God now—”And can you make all this happen on their anniversary?”

I can’t explain how all of this has made the loss of Mom less painful and the reality of God more tangible—but it has. I can’t explain why God chose to reach down from the top of the universe, wrap His arms around us and give us a present wrapped in a rainbow—but He did.

My wish for you this Christmas is that your heart is filled with hope and childlike faith to believe in a God who speaks to us, who takes care of us and gives us rainbows and pixie dust.

Merry Christmas,

Becky and Chips

Mom, I hope you don’t mind that we shared the Rainbow Story with our dearest friends and loved ones. Now, it’s their Christmas present also, in a way. So now, whenever they see a rainbow, they will know it’s a gift God and a sign from Him that “everything is gonna be alright.”

December News

2011-12-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas. December usually flys by so fast and I'm not sure I'll have time to "talk" to you again. Don't want to wait any longer on these announcements. We are rolling out so many new things in January, I don't know where to start...

1. First and most importantly, we ARE going to be opening training centers in several geographically strategic areas of the country. We are looking for trainers for Texas, Chicago, California, DC. More areas will be added later. Look for a page on the website in a few weeks. Former students will be the first considered.

2. Secondly, "I'VE BEEN STAGED.com" signs and banners will be available for our grads to use to market their properties online and in the yard. We are excited about this. Agents are 50% more likely to show a staged home and the public loves to tour staged homes. We just need to let them know when the home is staged by an A+ team. An account at Vista Print will be set up to order signs. Grads, you will be getting the info soon. If you are not currently receiving, e-mails, let me know.

3. Thirdly, I am starting an official coaching/mentoring opportunity for our students and any staging business owners. Those who stay connected always flourish and grow. Several years ago, I got certified as a lifestyle coach through Dream Mentors International. The concept of accountability and goal-setting works to bring us all up to a higher level of productivity and happiness.

Be on our inaugural team for a group bi- weekly mentoring session called "Happy Hour with Becky." We also offer a one-on-one strategy session by appointment. The first month is complimentary to see if you like it.

4. Lastly, I am doing a test run on an Interior Designer Continuing Education Staging class. It will be the only time it won't have a charge of $75. I need your feedback so this one time, it's complimentary. It will be Wednesday, the 14th At 7:00PM It's a Webinar. Anyone can join us. RSVP by email.

Here is an article I wrote for the Times-Union a few years ago all about decorating your home and
staged properties for the holidays.

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/121507/reh_225286195.shtml

ENJOY!

One of our traditions is to watch the movie Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase every year. Corny but funny.

In the movie, the dad, Clark Griswold, has huge expectations for the holidays. His outside light display is so massive that it short circuits half the city.

We have a neighborhood "Griswold" house that we love to drive by each year. It seems impossible, but it keeps getting bigger and tackier each time we see it. I should put a book about decluttering in the mailbox... if we could find it.

***************************************

~We are planning a reunion/advanced class for all our grads. Lately, I've been unindated with requests for an advanced class or a reunion class. So, we'll do both. I miss you all!!!

It will be a Friday and Saturday class with additional speakers, probably in early April, the 13th and 14th. It will cover new streams of income, like senior move management, staging/redesigning a commercial property and facebook and social marketing... plus many more topics.

Look for more details in another special notice.

~Our Online class is one of the simplest ways to break into the staging/redesign business. Right now, you can take advantage of a

BOGO if paid by the end of the year. You and a friend can both attend in 2012 for half price. Check it out and then cut the price in half. Get details on the webpage...

http://www.transform-us.com/online-home-staging-training.htm

~RESA - Real Estate Staging Association - Our December meeting was at Pottery Barn, Town Center, Dec. 2nd at 9:00AM It was fabulous, as always. We learned how to create stunning holiday decorations for staging and redesign.

Make your reservations now for the January 1st Friday meeting through Sandra Millis at scrjax@att.net.

Happy Thanksgiving and Bringing Home the Bacon

2011-11-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

It's November 23rd. Do you know where your turkey platter is?

This is the best time of year to judge whether or not you have turned over a new leaf and reordered your life. Do you have it all together yet or are you like me?... A lot better than previous years and but still not ready for a Martha Stewart inspection.

I actually baked my first turkey many years ago with the plastic giblet bag still in it. Who knew? One year, at my sister's house, the oven went into self-cleaning mode and locked itself with the turkey inside.

I've got the timing down perfectly now after many years of trial and error. My best tip... cook the turkey the day before. It's downhill from there.

My biggest problem now... my hubby is hog hunting today. Seriously! I already have two turkeys in my fridge. Where in God's green earth am I going to find space for a piggy, for crying out loud. I'll let you know how things turn out.

Watch for an article on organizing to appear after the turkey platter gets put away at our house. Don't we all need to simplify and focus on what's really important... shopping!! No honestly, I mean family and friends, of course.

I am truly grateful for all of you and hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Till next time...

(This is not turkey but shrimp at Bubba's, Paula Dean's kin, in Savannah last fall.)

November State of Mind

2011-10-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

Somehow, November gets a bad rap. People are hesitant to tackle a new project. Thanksgiving and Christmas are looming and we feel that it is just a busy time of year. The truth is, Thanksgiving is just one day out of the month and even if you are traveling that week-end, 25 days of November are still open for a new adventure, a new vision, a new business.

Don't let the world dampen your desire for a new lease on life. Just change your paradigm. I have several close friends who are left-brained, get-er-done types. I thank God for them. They always have a way of seeing the end result and forging ahead to completion. Don't be a product of someone else's doomed-before-you-start attidude. Yes, you can do hard things.

Our October class just ended and, as often happens... the attendees become close friends and leave on a high note... almost euphoric sometimes. It's important, girls, to keep going and let the momentum carry you through the mundane business necessities in the beginning of any new venture. But YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Choose your friends carefully when you need to stay motivated. Listen to the right voices. Give more, be more, do more... have more.

As Oprah once said, "We give the world our best and we expect the best in return. When we create an atmosphere of excellence, we become a product of that environment. An organized office and a beautiful home respects the very important person who lives there... YOU!"

New Staged Home Pictures...

2011-10-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Don't you love this time of year? Our October class just staged this beautiful home. What fun! Because we are a coastal city, we usually play up natural waterfront lifestyle living in our listings when we can.

This intracoastal neighborhood home reflects the atmosphere so desired by buyers coming to this area. The colors were streamlined and all extraneous art and accessories were removed. The view is the art.

This homeowner already had many accessories. We chose all the ones that stayed in our color family and repeated the coastal theme. The homeowner had a lovely navigational chart of the area waterways framed for the breakfast area. You can find charts at your local marine supply stores. I recall once using beautiful brown fish netting under a composition of appetizer plates and wine glasses for a beach house. Sugar starfish and palmetto branches completed the table.

The furniture in this home was repositioned to expose the two focal points... the pool and the 2-story fireplace. Large pieces came out of the siteline from the front door. Captivating!

The master bedroom is always an important space. This room just needed to be neutralized and the art was changed out. Very soothing and inviting, don't you agree?

This home looks like its ready for Coastal Living Magazine.

Lifestyle staging, which is a favorite segment in our class, includes adding touches that reflect things they will enjoy doing in the house... like entertaining friends at the bar with a cool glass of wine. Sometimes we will stage a family room overlooking the intracoastal marsh or the St. John's River with binoculars and a book about local birds. In a recent Ponte Vedra Blvd. beach house, we put the homeowners collection of sharks teeth in a lovely crystal dish and placed it in a prominate place.

We also like to add some atmosphere reflecting the current season to the front door area. Someone passing by is more likely to be tempted to see what treats are in store behind the closed doors.

Join us next time for another tour of a Transformations Staged Home.

Your Life is a Canvas and Webinar Info

2011-09-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, your life is a canvas. You are the artist and creator of your destiny. Paint it with style and expression, depth and color.

One of my favorite quotes is, "It's never too late to be what you might have been." Who's in charge anyway? YOU are!!! Be who you are! Do what you love!

I am a mentor, teacher and lifestyle coach. Too often, I see women and men who feel trapped in a job they no longer like. Inner and outer voices tell them they can't do more and be more. I'm here to tell you... DO NOT LISTEN TO THE WRONG VOICES!!

Yes you can do it!! There is always a way to make your dream a reality. Just take one step in that direction. Do it today and never look back. Color your day with promise and possibility.

We have scheduled a Staging Crash Course Webinar for partial certification credit. It will be September 29th and October 27th from 7:00 to 8:30ish. September still has a few spots open. Student grads and registered students are $20 and RE Agents are $50. All others are $70. It is money-back guaranteed. E-mail for payment details. becky@beckyharmon.com.

Happy Fall, you all.

September Business Update

2011-09-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

<><><> When the art is too small and your pillows are different sizes, don't worry. There is always a way to fix it. Add plates to the picture and put the mismatched pillows together. Easy solutions! <>

*If you are interested in a possible staging career or you wish to enhance your existing decorating or staging business, you are invited to attend our Staging Crash Course webinar showing some of our latest projects including a $2,000,000 house.

Limited space available

$20 for our grads

$50 for agents or designers

$75 for anyone else

Recent Staged Living Room in an exclusive neighborhood:

You can see here in the "before" picture that staging this multi-million dollar house made a difference.

*The demand for certified stagers is accelerating exponentially. More and more of the agents are staging all their listings... especially the younger ones.

One of our real estate investor client/students just sent an amazing testimonial on August 25th...

"Becky,

I've been meaning to drop you a note and let you know how successful your staging course has been for us.

We had two houses, a 4BR 2-1/2 BA and a 3/2 rehabbed and ready to go. We put them on MLS on a Saturday and I staged on Sunday. We had offers on both houses on Monday and signed contracts by Tuesday. Presto!

It was worth the price and being so successful so quickly helped boost my confidence!

Thanks so much!

Melissa Sargent"

Riches 4U2 Investments, Inc.

*Sandra Millis of Southern Comfort Redesign, just got good news that her 2nd staged oceanfront condo sold in record time... around 30 days. Way to go Sandra!! www.scrjax.com

*Anyone interested in jumping on the Staging Business Fast-Track program needs to speak up now. We have a few spots left in our Labor Day week Online Certification Class and 2 spots in our September 3-day local class. Our 3-day class dates in September changed to accommodate several people... the 15th - 17th, Thursday through Saturday.

*Our popular new Online Staging Certification Class is offering a BOGO-Buy One Get One- for a short time only. You must register ASAP. This 7-hour class is still at the introductory price of $750. If you bring a friend, they

are free. So basically, it would be $375 each. Wow! This is for our September class. E-mail for details. becky@beckyharmon.com

The class includes 7 DVD's, 5 CD's, a new space-planning kit and

comprehensive manual. An added bonus is an additional professionally produced DVD of an actual staging job. We also include a power point CD

showing the best of our before-and-after pictures. Both extra products are worth $225. The class has a money-back guarantee. If you decide the class was not for you, your investment will be refunded but you can keep the

bonus products.

June 2011

2011-06-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Grand-baby Abe

The weather was glorious for the Memorial Week-end. There continued to be an East breeze and the outgoing tide left plenty of space for all beach activities... swimming, surfing, fishing, reading, sleeping.

We experimented with the new kayak and decided the calmer waters of Huegonot Part and Ft. George may suit these inexperienced paddlers better. I'll let you know how we do.

On our very first kayak adventure at Hanna Park last year, a live mullet jumped out of the water and down my t-shirt. My scream reached into south Georgia. I'm sure the fish was as distressed as I was. Do mullets have ears?

DREAM SEEDS

2011-05-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Are you a possibility thinker? You can be. It's just a matter of choice. Not big choices, mind you. It's the small daily choices that determine our destiny.

Is it really that simple? REDESIGN YOUR LIFE is my continual theme song. I'm a work-in-progress, a perpetual renovation project. I should post a permanent sign on my forehead that says, Beware--- CONSTRUCTION ZONE.

I love this (slightly modified) quote from Oprah:

“As we begin to recognize ourselves for who we really are---thinkers, leaders with limitless potential to transform not only ourselves but also the world around us---chaos in the car, at home, or at the office becomes the exception and excellence becomes the rule. When we speak, we’re the first to hear our words, to feel their impact. What we say and think manifests itself as the life we create, one choice at a time. And when we fill our lives with things that uplift us, we become a product of that environment. We want to give the world our best, and we want the best in return. Maintaining a gorgeous home and organized office is about respecting the very important person who lives in it…YOU.”

We recently returned from a St. Simon's Island biking trip. It was a small goal on my Vision Board. I believe there is power in putting an image that represents a wish where you can see it every day.

We LOVED the island and experienced it more directly from a snail's pace beach cruiser. The bike trails are well marked and the community is totally accomodating to all these obnoxious ametuers.

This was the view from our room at the Ocean's Inn Resort. St. Simon's is about an hour north of Jacksonville near Brunswick, Ga.

~Happy Trails to You,

Until We Meet Again~