Flying off the Shelves... Have you heard? Homes are selling like hot cakes. Consequently, we should all be busier, right? The answer is ... yes... if you have positioned yourself as the "go-to" person for home staging for your area. What strategies can place you at the top of your industry? At the Real Estate Staging Association convention in San Francisco this February, several of the best speakers mentioned the same book. It was the short, but powerful Purple Cow. The essence of the book instructs us to do one thing... "Be Remarkable." Just being the best, the biggest, the smartest isn't enough anymore. Yes, you should be those things but also be outrageously unique. Southwest Airlines is an example of being remarkable. They go out of their way to make air travel fun... hilarious preflight instructions, for example, and their antics at the airport check-in counter are noteworthy. The SW employees recently took part in a huge April Fool's joke on all the travelers at the Dallas terminal on April 1st. It's hard not to notice them. Steve Jobs is the best example of this concept. Everything he presented to the world was not only remarkable, it changed the way we communicate. He created a demand for things we didn't know we needed. We all became "raving fans." He truly was one of the most remarkable people in the last decade in the world of innovation. Cirque do Soleil reinvented the circus. They took a fading industry and transformed it. They eliminated the costly animal acts and then added a sense of theater... outlandish, beautiful costumes and drama... to the best of the standard circus acts. They created demand for something unknown to us 15 years ago. If you have ever been to a performance, you will agree that they are remarkable. Home staging as a relatively new industry is in the process of becoming a permanent part the real estate process. Its value is becoming more evident as time passes. The demand is increasing as the word gets out. How can you stand out as a competitor in the marketplace? What do you need to do to have your own "raving fans?" The answer to these and other questions will be discussed at the "There's No Place Like Home Staging" Advanced Staging Class in Jacksonville, Florida coming in June. Read about it below...

~ADVANCED STAGING CLASS Yes, our popular There's No Place Like Home Staging Advanced Class, here in Jacksonville, Fl., will be Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th. The location is the newly renovated Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club in Jacksonville, Fl. An optional dinner out at a popular Jax. Beach locale will be Friday evening. We have great new speakers joining us and many new demos and workshops. $150 for the two days includes gourmet buffet lunches and lots of extras. Our space is extremely limited and many of last years attendees are returning, so get your reservations in ASAP. The March blog post has a Pay Pal deposit option. $50 deposit saves your seat. http://stagehappy.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html Two new guest speakers: Juliet Johnson, a rock star national figure in Social Media, will guide us to better visibility on the web. My traffic has doubled since November with Juliet's help. That is a small miracle since my traffic growth has been pretty static and gradual for 6+ years. www.vizzitopia.com David Josephson, who is a business coach specializing in Real Estate, will guide us to better productivity and increased revenue. www.thegrowthcoachofjax.com Returning this year is Cyndi Rice who wowed our attendees in 2012. She made us laugh and cry and believe in ourselves. Have you practiced your elevator speech? Remember when she asked us all... not "What do you do?" but "Why do you do what you do?" We will also have speakers who can help us improve our photography skills and SEO Search Engine Optimization. TBA Sherwin Williams and Aaron's Rentals will be our sponsors again. I will be presenting a class with lots of new information on "Contracts" and also "Creating and Sustaining a Wow-Factor Life." Get your ruby-red slippers on over to the blog to reserve your seat now. See the link above. Part of the 2012 Sold-Out Advanced Class The RESAJax May meeting will be at the Floor Club on Beach Blvd. near FSC of Jax entrance. Details will be announced later. It will be a late afternoon meeting. 5:00 to 6:30 on May 2nd.

This Girl is on FIRE, March Post

Sandringham Dr. – Sold in 12 days
Shipwatch Dr. Waterfront house – Sold in 5 days
Admirals Bend, ICW Waterfront house – Sold in 17 days

I suppose everyone has heard Alicia Keys new hit and award-winning single, Girl on Fire.  After a record 2012 for us and many of our class grads and a fabulous Real Estate Staging Association convention in San Francisco this February, that song seems to fit my enthusiasm level.

Where are you on the Girl on Fire scale? (or Guys on Fire for our many excellent gentlemen stagers)

What can we do to raise your level of success??  After conversations with several staging colleagues, it seems that continuing education tips the scale for all of us when it comes to staying motivated and getting more business.
 

Yes, the industry is constantly evolving. Yes, homes are selling faster. New strategies must be implemented. We are offering several amazing opportunities to stay ahead of the curve. See BACKSTAGE for tele-seminar, webinar and Advanced Class details.

One of the classes at the RESA convention that really confirmed my philosophy but sparked my imagination with new ideas was the Staging Report. Some call it the “Walk and Talk” Report.

Karen Otto, from the Dallas area, said that 70% of her business was from the Staging Report, $150 service.  Karen is a regional VP with RESA national and a convention speaker. Shouldn’t we all be listening to what she has to say?!

I took pages and pages of notes and condensed it down to a short but thorough report. I’ve also added my thoughts. If you are interested, send an e-mail request and I will share the document.

Better yet, attend the complimentary tele-seminar scheduled for next week. 3-12-13, at 8:00PM EDT. See BACKSTAGE below for details...

 

 

BACKSTAGE Events

~The TELE-SEMINAR will be held Tuesday, discussing the Staging Report and how you can make $50,000 a year with this service alone. No reservations needed but if you wish to get an invitation to our next webinar, e-mail your request. becky@beckyharmon.com

Tuesday night, 3-12-13, 8:00 to 9:00PM EDT

Call-in number, 1-213-3000, access code, 884624. Your normal long distance charges will apply.

Those who attend this event will be invited to the webinar with pictures on Vacant Staging.

 

~ADVANCED STAGING CLASS

Yes, our popular "There's No Place Like Home" Advanced Staging Class, held here in Jacksonville, will be Friday and Saturday, October 4th & 5th. The location is the newly renovated Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club in Jaclsonville, Fl.

We have great new speakers joining us and many new demos and workshops. $150 for the two days includes gourmet buffet lunches and lots of extras.

Our space is extremely limited and many of last years attendees are returning, so get your reservations in ASAP. Below you have a Pay Pal deposit option. $50 deposit saves your seat.

Two new guest speakers:

Juliet Johnson, a rock star in Social Media, will guide us to better visibility on the web. My traffic has doubled since November with Juliet’s help. That is a small miracle since my traffic growth has been pretty static and gradual for 6+ years. www.vizzitopia.com

David Josephson, who is a business coach specializing in Real Estate, will guide us to better productivity and increased revenue. www.thegrowthcoachofjax.com

Returning this year is Cyndi Rice who wowed our attendees in 2012. She made us laugh and cry and believe in ourselves. Have you practiced your elevator speech? Remember when she asked us all… not “What do you do?” but “Why do you do what you do?”

We will also have speakers who can help us improve our photography skills and SEO Search Engine Optimization. TBA

I will be presenting a class with lots of new information on “Contracts” and also “Creating and Sustaining a Wow-Factor Life.” I will also be sharing the "nitty-gritty" nuggets from the San Francisco Convention.

Get your ruby-red slippers over to the 2013 Advanced Class.

 

Reserve your spot now. Limited space.
E-mail  to reserve. becky@beckyharmon.com

Three Questions I Get Asked Frequently...

Three questions I get asked frequently:

What kind of people are taking the staging /redesign class?

How are some of the graduates doing now?

What are some of their websites?

1. Let me profile some of the unique and exceptional people who have decided to get certified by Transformations.

*Amy Maynor is mainly a wife and mom but also a property manager who has a lot of experience rehabbing and flipping luxury homes. She produced two successful shows for HGTV in the early years of that network.

*Jaima Brown Emmert is an international fabric and wallpaper designer from Chicago and Naples. Her blog is a favorite in the design world. Jaime Brown Home is the name of her company.

*Angelia Savage, a former Miss Florida, flipped luxury homes in New York City and the Cayman Islands. She worked for Donald Trump.

*Fran Gunner of San Diego is in the process of starring in her own HGTV reality show. She is an artist and stager/redesigner.

*Three people from different Pottery Barn's design teams have joined us for classes.

 2. Some of the students are making great strides in the staging/redesign world.

*Kim Osborne is the owner of VIP Staging and Home Management in Jacksonville. She employs a team of four who coordinate all her projects. Her business is growing rapidly. Her lead designer, Becky Quaid, is also a graduate of Transformations.

*Royce Koury is a stager and interior designer in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also has clients in Florida and Las Vegas.

*Randa Clark is an interior designer and stager from Chicago who specializes in design for those with chemical sensitivities.

*Sandra Millis of Southern Comfort Redesign does a lot of staging for property managers and furnishes models for one of our top builders here in Jacksonville.

*Yvonne McClure in Pennsylvania broke our record for the highest paying staging job, so far... $10,000 for labor alone.

First impressions are crucial not just with homes but also websites. Your website can make or break a staging career. Here are a few student grads websites. Compare them to the average stager's site:

Www.firstimpressionsbyelizabeth.com  
Www.coastal-designs.com
Www.eastelmdesign.com
Www.homestagingbysuzette.com
Www.signatureredesigns.com

Of course, most of our students are SAH moms, retired teachers, nurses, agents, artists... you name it. Anyone can tap into their creative side and learn to be a stager or redesigner. It's a wonderful way to make a living. So long, for now...

It's a Wonderful Life Anyway and Teleseminar News and new Power Point

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you are enjoying your friends family as we wrap up the last days of 2012. I feel such a sense of anticipation and, yes, JOY, as I plan for 2013.

No, not everything is perfect in this stager's life and business, but so much is going well that I'm a bit beside myself.

 Many of you know that I am a person of faith. My son is the pastor of a new Jacksonville Beach church. It's a cross between a coffee bar and a contemporary music club. Huge black & white pictures of beaches landmarks grace the walls. www.OceanCityChurch.org. The last few services have been off-the-charts, goose-bump good. Sigh!! I'm happy!

What a "Wonderful Life" we are witnessing all around!

 I see miracles happening in the lives of family and friends in crises. I celebrate the markers of progress with those in successful cancer treatment and grieve with those who did not have good news. Farewell Bonnie, my dear friend. I will miss you. I look forward to seeing you on the other side of the rainbow someday.

It's a Wonderful Life, anyway, in spite of struggles and challenges. We have entered the world of luxury vacation rentals. It's not easy but a great opportunity to help property owners, mostly from out-of-town, to update and beautify their investments. I'll share more later as we work through gradually evaluating the problem units.

If you have not been on the newsletter list, you've missed some great posts on business tips and news about the industry. Archives link: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs001/1101601434862/archive/1102799026125.html

Join the list at the top of any website page. http://www.transform-us.com/

The RESA Showhouse was so much fun. We will have more pictures later but here are a few now.

There will be a vacant-home teleseminar on the 9th of January at 8:00PM EST. E-mail for a spot in the class. becky@beckyharmon.com The first RESA meeting will be the 11th of January at the San Pablo branch of the library, Beach Blvd. at 10:15AM to 11:45AM. Anyone interested in staging or redesign is welcome. $5. RE agents are free.

Notice to all student grads. The Student Presentation has been updated with many new pictures and great, new statistics from RESA and Zillow. It's powerful! It's not available to the public.

You can get a new copy for $12 plus $4
shipping.

Real Estate Staging Association Christmas Showhouse

Join us for a tour of the first annual RESA Christmas Showhouse on Sat., December 8th from 11:00AM to 4:00PM, Queens Harbour on Atlantic Blvd. $10 with a ticket or $15 at the door. Park at the Queens Harbour Sports Complex for a quick shuttle to the house.

This low-country style home on the intra-coastal waterway looks like it belongs in the movie, Prince of Tides. The casual styling makes this home less like the typical over-decorated designer showhouse and more like a comfortable southern retreat. The Safari Club homeowners have wonderful treasures and photos from travel to places like Africa and South America. The contemporary holiday decorations will surprise you. One chandelier has real jewelry on it. Lots of ideas and inspiration await your visit.

A very limited number of tickets are available. Get yours today at Cottage by the Sea, 3rd St. and 4th Ave. in Jax Beach or Design Elements at the Town Center.

*The RESA national Convention is the end of January 31st - February 2nd in San Francisco. I will be going. Please join me for a trip to remember. Details on the RESA site.

Lifestyle Staging Tips

You asked for it... You got it! Here is my secret list of favorite lifestyle staging tips. Don't tell anyone.

1. Create a theme and play up a focal point. For a coastal theme, use a framed navigational chart over the fireplace, for instance. The charts can also be rolled up and placed in a tall basket. Put some Coastal Living magazines in a tray with a starfish for the cocktail table.

2. Streamline the colors. Use no more than 2 primary colors and 1 accent color... like a spa blue color with khaki and a touch of kiwi green.

3. Add a great accessory or picture... a fabulous piece of driftwood on the coffee table with 3" pillar candles in white. Some fish netting would add drama.

4. Create a cozy conversation area. Bring the furniture into the middle of the room. No "wallflowers."

5. If the space allows, angle the dining room table and remove any tall, traditional florals. Instead use a low accessory, such as, a collection of wood-carved sea turtles or an oblong dish of unique shells.

6. Place some wine corks in a container on the bar area. Add some wine glasses and a pretty wine bottle on a tray. If you don't have a tray, use a mirror. Remove any hooks that might scratch the table.

7. Place a telescope or binoculars on the table near a lake or waterfront view. Place a display of sharks teeth on the coffee table in an oceanfront home. This is subliminal staging.

 

 

8. Create a party atmosphere with a tray of iced tea glasses and a pitcher on a tray. Add some colorful napkins and a few lemons.

9. Use greenery from the backyard to create a natural setting and add dimension. My favorites are philodendron leaves and palmetto branches. Bamboo cuttings in a tall vase add a Zen-like atmosphere to a room, for instance. Use bamboo tomato stakes in a container to add height.

!0. Yes, we do decorate for the various seasons. In the fall, place a few pumpkins and some mums outside the front door, for instance. For the holidays, keep it subtle and use natural items. Real cranberries in a hurricane candleholder with a white pillar candle on top can be lovely. Evergreen cuttings from the woods smell great and can be combined with clippings of natural berries for a beautiful display.

There you have it! My favorite tricks-of-the-trade designer tips for you. Enjoy!

 

What is your favorite tip?

 

Curb Appeal Sets the Stage

                         

I always enjoy styling and staging houses in our intracoastal neighborhood of Queens Harbour. One of the problems I run into frequently is overgrown shrubs and outdated plant selections. Newer varieties perform better and don’t take over the

visual space that we call Curb Appeal.

When these homes were planned many years ago, a certain budget was required by POA for landscaping. The builder had to supply an abundant selection of prime plant material. Now, twenty-something years later, those plants have taken over the lawn.

One of my neighbors who could not sell her house called and asked my opinion. The interior of the home was absolutely gorgeous. That was not the problem. I asked her to walk outside and look at the house from across the street.

“Now describe what do you see?” I asked as she turned around. “I see what you mean. The curb appeal and front of the house doesn’t begin to tell the story of the beautiful space beyond the front door. In fact, there were times people made an appointment and didn’t get out of the car.”

The old overgrown azaleas and junipers dominated most of the front yard and covered the quaint front porch. I recommended that she pull them out completely and plant low-growing hawthorn plants next to the foundation. Then sod the space where the large plants had been. This added some extra real estate. After the changes were made, the home sold overnight.

Curb Appeal isn’t just an after thought. It’s the pretty face that gets the date to the prom! Who cares that you spent a fortune for the dress and shoes.

Since 90% of homebuyers look online before deciding which homes to tour, the first picture, the front of the house, may be the most important one.

I bumped into one of my Queens Harbour staging clients awhile back and she said the house had not sold after a long time on the market. I was shocked since our average DOM – Days on the Market - is about 2 to 3 weeks.

She remarked that the online stats revealed that 1500 people were looking at the first picture, the front of the house, but only 500 opted to look inside. The interior was beautiful and updated.

After reviewing the online link, I realized what caused the problem. The hedge around the house had obscured the photographer’s view so he walked up the driveway to get the whole house into the picture.

It appeared like the property was tiny when in fact, it was huge. An aerial photo fixed the problem and the house sold right away.

                                 After Photo

How can you judge your property for Curb Appeal? Look at it through the lens of a camera from across the street. This is a powerful tip to objectively view your most important picture.

Obviously, a manicured lawn, fresh mulch and annuals go a long way to freshen things up. One of our “tricks of the trade” is too use Design Master acrylic floral spray in green to camouflage a brown spot on the lawn. Sometimes the shutters or front door need a coat of fresh paint or a color change. And obviously, everything must be immaculate.

So, put on a pretty face to get that date to the prom. All of your efforts will pay off in getting that property sold in record time for more money.

Advanced Class Recordings

Great news! The Advanced Class held in June at the Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club was a hit. Yay! The recordings will be ready by the first week of August. If you could not make it to this special class, the class will come to you. Yay! There are only 25 sets in the first batch of duplications, so get your order in ASAP. There is more info on the class in the 2 previous  blog posts. Here is the list of speakers and topics: Wally Sears - Professional Room Photography DVD video Mary Habres - Marketing, Fishing for Clients CD audio Jerry Busche - Website SEO CD audio Becky Harmon - Maintaining Customer Loyalty CD audio Donna Mancini - Social Media CD audio Cyndi Rice - Habits, Speaking and Inspiration 2 CDs audio The DVD was not filmed from a tripod so the quality is not the best . But because the content is so essential, you still need to see and get this wonderful information. We are adding the DVD free of charge if you buy the complete set. Click on the arrow if you want individual recordings. All are money-back guaranteed. These prices will go up 30% after our promotion. $60 ($105 value) for the 7 products in a set. $15 each if ordered individually. Here are 3 short videos of class attendees on the top of the website testimonial page.  http://www.transform-us.com/testimonials.htm  Recording Choices

All recordings$60.00 USD Photography DVD$15.00 USD Marketing CD$15.00 USD Website & SEO$15.00 USD Client Retention$15.00 USD Social Media$15.00 USD Inspiration 2 CDs$30.00 USD

More Advanced Class Photos

I am finally posting some more pictures of the Advanced Class on June 8th and 9th. The reviews are still coming in and the verdict is:" It was fabulous!" " I will come every year from now on." "I have never been more confident and enthusiastic about my business." "It was like a 2-day 'girl's night out.'" Thank you all for the wonderful comments.

One of our more popular segments was creating color boards with Sherwin William's HGTV color collection. This is Royce Koury, a designer from 
North Carolina, representing her group.


All the girls contributed to the fun.

..
Friday night dinner out on the intracoastal waterway.

We have Randa from Chicago and Shawna and Shirley from Orlando. 

These girls got the color memo. Beautiful happy group!!! 


I am working on the recordings of the various speakers and hopefully we will have something soon. Our newsletter should be out in a day or two. If you have not signed up from the website, your spam filter may swallow it. More news coming...

"There's No Place Like Home Staging" Pictures, etc.

First DayOur 1st Annual Advanced 2-day Staging Class was a smash hit!!

Everyone left euphoric and excited about all the possibilities out there now in our wonderful world of Staging and Redesign. Our speakers gave us all wonderful ideas and inspiration.

Wally SearsThank you to Jerry Busche, Wally Sears, Mary Habres, Donna Mancini, Cyndi Rice and Nina Shivley.

Mary Habres We learned about:  taking professional photos, websites and SEO, marketing, Social Media, defining our mission statement and elevator speech, and vacant home staging.

The content was amazing and "way above expectations" according to many attendees. I have all of it on audio and some video. It will take a few weeks to edit, etc. and have it ready. I will let you know.

Donna Mancini

Remember at the end of the movie, Glinda told Dorothy that she had the power all along. I think we just need to be reminded how talented and valuable we really are. We are already planning our next event. So girls, let your ruby red slippers take you to new and exciting adventures in business. And remember that we need a heart(love), a brain(wisdom) and some courage(faith) if we are to find our way back home.

Dinner at Billy's Boathouse Grill

Advanced Class Info

                 THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME STAGING

June 8^th and 9^th, Queens Harbour Yacht Club, 1131 Queens Harbour Blvd., Jacksonville, Fl. 32225,

Veranda Room overlooking the Marina, Intracoastal Waterway

 Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the biggest event in the 6-year history of Transformations Staging School. Advanced-Stager certification will be awarded to the attendees.

 The guest speakers on the agenda are:


     ·       Marketing in the 21^st Century - Mary Habres, Marketing Coach

·       Photography Skills - Wally Sears, Architectural Photographer

·       Speaking and Accountability - Cyndi Rice, Author and Coach

·       Empty-Home Staging - Nina Shively from Aaron’s Regional Staging Program

·       Website Development - Jerry Busche, SEO and Web Design

 Many more topics will be discussed including networking, no-sew window treatments, extra streams of income, social media, curb appeal.

 The Sponsors are Aaron’s Rental Staging Program and Sherwin Williams Paints

The cost is $200 and includes gourmet lunches and snacks and a surprise goody-bag. (RESA members and Transformations grads - $150.)

Get your Ruby-Red Slippers on over Pay Pal blog post below to put down a deposit to save a space. Or e-mail me.

 becky@beckyharmon.com

 904-945-0093

PS. By the way, this is not a standard staging training session. It is mainly focused on how to take any business to the next level whether you are a stager, agent, organizer or decorator. The class is not a substitute for training but will give a boost  of confidence to anyone in a home-based business.

Advanced Class Pay Deposit

The Advanced Class is scheduled for Friday June 8th and Saturday June 9th at the Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club, 1100 Queens Harbour Blvd., Jacksonville, Fl. 32225 More info is in the 2012 Events Blog.
http://stagehappy.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-events-and-convention-news.html


We are awarding Pro-Stager Certification with this class. We hope you plan to join us. The class is half-filled now. We have attendees from Virginia, Texas, Chicago, Orlando, etc. Most of the regular classes are $500 a day. This one is  80% less at $100 a day. $200 total.


Friday after class, we will walk on the beach and have dinner at a Jax. Beach hot spot, not necessarily in that order.


Here is your Pay Pal button. The deposit is $100. You can pay the balance at or before the class. 904-945-0093

Mentoring/Coaching Call - Stay in Touch with your Clients

 

 I am starting an official coaching/mentoring opportunity for our students and any staging business enthusiasts. 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.

Here is a recording of our last call: 
Link to Recording

Be on our inaugural team for a group bi-monthly 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. Sign-up for the first month at no charge. Next session is March 28th. We had about 30 on our first call. Get more info... becky@beckyharmon.com 

Special Gift for You

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

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 & Convention News

"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME STAGING" Convention in Jacksonville, Florida
Hosted by Transformations Staging School

Be sure to mark your calendars for June 8th and 9th. Follow the Yellow Brick Road to our Advanced Staging Convention here in Jacksonville at Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club. Queens Harbour is located on the intracoastal waterway a few minutes from the ocean.

It will be a continuing education opportunity for any veteran stagers or redesigners and home stylists. Anyone interested in staging is welcome but the focus is on new trends, marketing, extra streams of income. We will feature guest speakers in the fields of organizing, website creation, social media, architectural photography, time management and more. You will be able to get a new professional headshot for your website, etc. A lot of bang for your buck.

Friday night, weather permitting, we will caravan to the beach for dinner and pictures, and hopefully, get our feet in the sand.

It will cost $200 and includes gourmet lunches and snacks. There will be many goodies and a drawing for the Grand Prize.

Our hotel is Somewhere Over the Rainbow at 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. $100 deposit will reserve your space at the convention. Contact me w/ your CCard number. 904-945-0093

This class is half-filled already!!!

If I Only Had a Brain, I'd be skipping on over to the Emerald City to join the fun. becky@beckyharmon.com
www.transform-us.com

Ribbons and Raindeer and Bows, Oh My...

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

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.”