Are They Cheating on You?

  

                    Picture from Better Homes & Gardens

Are They Cheating on You?

A number of years ago, I attended a continuing education class for designers where I learned the shocking truth that after 5 years, over 50% of our loyal clients end up leaving us to go to a competitor. GASP! For realtors, 80% of people say they would use their realtor again but only 20% actually do. Why is that!!

The survey/study results indicated that 68% of people who leave their designer, stager or realtor are choosing someone else because of perceived indifference. That is certainly not the impression we want to leave with our clients.  How do we keep that from happening? 

TOMA- Top of Mind Awareness

Business stats tell us that the cost is 5 times greater to acquire new clients than it is to keep our existing ones. What can we do to keep our valuable relationships flourishing and thriving?

We teach our staging students to write thank you notes and call their clients every 6 months. "I was driving through your neighborhood recently and thought of you. Let's have lunch sometime." We also encourage everyone to send out newsletters or blog posts. You are reading this, aren't you? Constant communication tells the recipients that you care about them. I do love you all, by the way!!!

Are you sick of hearing about Face Book engagement? Get over it! FB has never been more relevant. One of my realtor friends, who crushes it in Jacksonville told me recently that FB was her only marketing plan. She has 1500 friends and posts about fishing, boating and life in Jacksonville. That's pretty easy.

                       Picture from Better Homes and Gardens

Personally, I recently started doing occasional FB boosts and ads for my business page. I like to talk about coastal decorating ideas. The ads are really reasonable. After spending about $75 on 2 $25 ads and several $5 boosts, my likes went from 250 to 750. Isn't that crazy!! You can target your ads to the perfect audience.  I still don't post as often as I should but it's so worth the time it takes.

Another tip... use pictures and videos on posts and newsletters. People are lazy and don't want to read a lot of text. Are you still there? I hope so. Post pictures and stories about your area. 

Please like us on FB (link under my picture on the left) and watch for the kind of posts we create. I hope I am creating TOMA - Top of Mind Awareness- because I truly value and appreciate each and every one of you.

 

                             Picture for Better Homes and Gardens

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

Thank you for joining us on this adventure. The world of staging is exploding all over the country.

#1 Biggest Challenge for Home Sellers

Picture from Better Homes & Gardens What is the biggest challenge homeowners face when selling their property? The biggest challenge, by far, is downsizing as a senior. Senior move management is a whole new industry.  This is an untapped opportunity for stagers as Baby Boomers retire or transition to an over- 55 adult community.  If seniors wait until there is an emergency, an illness or the death of a spouse to start the moving process, it can be traumatic and expensive. We had the experience of helping my husband's parents go through that downsizing process long before I was in the staging business. His parents were both limited physically and one of them was in a wheelchair when they decided it was time to join us in Jacksonville. We had planned to move them to an assisted living community near us when they were ready.  My husband and I both worked full time and only had a one long week-end to complete the process. It included selecting the things that would move into the new smaller space, going through the contents of the house, planning an estate sale, hiring a RE agent, packing furniture, clothing and mementos.  We sold the house "as is" because we didn't know any better. Now, looking back, I'm sure that we could have spent $10,000 for carpet and paint to have made $80,000 more on the sale. And also, if we had gone through a more organized process, we could have gotten maybe $15,000 more for the furnishings and contents of the house.  It all worked out okay but it was very difficult and emotional issues kept us from making wise choices. Picture from House Beautiful To contrast that story, most of my senior downsizing clients have a positive experience emotionally and financially when they plan ahead. Not long ago, the Campbells, who lived in a moderately large house in a gated community, decided to downsize. We staged the house after some minor updating.  While it was on the market, they found a smaller home in the retirement community outside of Mayo Clinic. We chose their favorite things to bring to the new, smaller house. An estate sale was planned for all the rest. After some minor updating... carpet, paint and repairs, the new house was ready for them. They got a great deal on it because the previous owners did not update anything. They bought the new, 1800 sq. ft.  house for about $220,000 and sold the big, 2800 sq. ft. house for over $400,000. They only lost the office, formal living room and one bedroom. The kitchen was a tiny bit smaller. It's really beautiful. They have no lawn maintenance issues and more time for their hobby... boating. This obviously is a much better scenario. Plan ahead and take care of the needed updates to maximize your profit on the large house.  Be prepared to do some minor updating on the new smaller space to get a great deal. Most importantly, start planning long before you have crises. You will thank me.    ****************************************************************** Thank you for joining us on this adventure. The world of staging is exploding all over the country. Next time we will cover the highlights of the staging convention in Las Vegas. RESA-Con. Please LIKE the RESA-Jax FaceBook page for the latest updates on our 1st Friday meetings.

January 2016 Grads

3 Biggest Bio Blunders

3 Biggest Bio Blunders to Avoid Whether you are a realtor, stager or designer... a strong, descriptive bio can make all the difference when it comes to attracting your ideal clients in 2016. I just attended a Nancy Juetten webinar about streamlining your online bio. What an eye-opener! We all need to occasionally hone our message to accurately reflect our unique experience and talent. Nearly everyone goes to your website to validate your professionalism before officially hiring you. My Google Analytics stats bear that out. So, here are the 3 Biggest Bio Blunders: 1. Too much information - If you've been in business awhile, you've accumulated some awards and accolades. But, if your list is too long, (yawn) they are outta there in a few seconds. 100 choice words should be enough. Less is more. 2. Failure to share your unique message -   Be specific and nail down your philosophy in one line at the top. Be different and be bold. And depending on your ideal client, you may even be funny. 3. Failure to use a powerful headline - The headline is your 1st impression. According to Nancy Juetten, is it "lackluster or blockbuster." To wrap it up, communicate your expertise so your premium clients see your value... But say it clearly and FAST. Sign up for Nancy Juetten's newsletter and learn from the best. My bio is getting a major makeover this week-end. *Last but not least, I am happy to announce that my former student, Kristy Anderson, of Dwell Home Staging has been recognized as one of the top 5 stagers in the country by the Redesign and Home Staging Association. She follows our marketing model of publishing a newsletter and staying active on social media. Even though she is relatively new, she has quickly risen to the top of the home staging industry in the Tampa, Florida area. Congratulations, Kristy. So proud of you. I recommend that you sign up for Kristy's newsletter to see why she is rocking it in the staging world. Website We are planning a live conference call with Kristy soon to find out more about her success.       ********************************************************* Last comment... Who is going to the RESA convention in Las Vegas this month. We will all meet at the hotel so send your cell number and let me know who is going.       ******************************************************** By the way, the early 2016 classes are filling up fast. Let me know if you are interested.           ******************************************************* RESA Meeting Friday 1/8/16   Sherwin Williams Color Mix 2016 Color Consultant Jill Akerman Start the New Year with the latest Color Trends January 2016 Meeting  Sherwin Williams Color Mix 2016 PLACE:  Jacksonville Library,Southeast Branch DATE:  Friday, January 8, 2016 TIME:  10:15am - 11:45am RSVP:  Katherine Frazier, decoratingdelight@gmail.com       ********************************************************* I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the newsletter. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.

Online Class Sale

*Big news! We are participating in the after Thanksgiving Cyber Sale. The online class is half-price for the next week or so. That is $375 total, instead of $750. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to get started in home staging and interior redesign before the end of the year. When you pay the $300 deposit, only $75 remains as the balance. As soon as you pay the deposit, your materials will go out within 24 hours.  Happy Dance!! *Also, if you live anywhere near Jacksonville, you need to join us for the RESA, the Real Estate Staging Association, meeting at Pottery Barn in the Town Center. They are opening the store early at 9 AM just for us. No parking issues that early!!! The presentation will be on holiday decorating, Pottery Barn style. Last year, they offered everyone the designer discount pricing on everything. WHOA! Dec. 4th, 9:00AM - 10:00AM 4790 River City Dr., Jax. FL. 32246 RSVP to becky@beckyharmon.com. Feel free to invite a friend. Anyone interested in home staging or redesign is welcome to join us. *Last but not least, I am happy to announce that my former student, Kristy Anderson, of Dwell Home Staging has been recognized as one of the top 5 stagers in the country by the Redesign and Home Staging Association. She follows our marketing model of publishing a newsletter and staying active on social media. Even though she is relatively new, she has quickly risen to the top of the home staging industry in the Tampa, Florida area. Congratulations, Kristy. So proud of you. I recommend that you sign up for Kristy's newsletter to see why she is rocking it in the staging world. www.dwellstaging.com  We are planning a live conference call with Kristy soon to find out more about her success.       ********************************************************* By the way, the early 2016 classes are filling up fast. Let me know if you are interested.       ********************************************************* I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the newsletter. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.

Who are your 5 Best Friends

Happy Fall, You All!!! We just returned from a few days in the mountains for the leaf change. It always inspires me when I get a change of scenery. The artistic talent in and around the Asheville area amazes me. Artistic people seem to be drawn to each other. They mentor one another. They flourish and grow when surrounded by such beauty and talent. Is there something we can learn from them?  Who are your mentors? Who is influencing your career? They say that your income will be the average of your 5 best friends. When I heard this years ago, I remember thinking, " I need new friends!!" Seriously, I was fortunate to have been influenced by many encouraging people over the span of my business career.          My Sisters (who are my mentors and friends) Someone sent this wonderful quote to me many years ago when I wanted to give up my dream of small business ownership. It speaks to the importance of meeting with mentors and friends who are much further along in their journey than you are.  "You are co-creator of my future; that which my eyes have not yet seen but my heart knows when it is seen. You are a dream maker; an ambassador of beauty drawing forth that which flourishes in the depths of my heart but that which I quickly forget. You are my permission to live in a space that supports my soul. You are my soul sister, my soul brother who stands by me and for me to reveal my heart and wrap me in physical expression. You are my voice that I've always wanted but didn't know the language to speak. You are my courage to stay the course. You are my angel, the "master connector" gathering the perfect materials and people to build my dream. You hold super powers; "agent of dreams", "creative prodigy", "problem solving phenomenon", and "masterful Intuit" that make sense of what I'm saying and not saying creating something better than I ever imagined. Although I looked together and tough, you noticed I was scared. Scared to stand in my highest Self. Scared that something or someone might hijack my most precious longings. Thank you for seeing me without making a fuss. Thank you for taking my hand, for guiding me, for showing me, for teaching me, for leading me through this process and being gentle and patient with me on this journey to my awakening." Thank you to Janice E., Janice M., John M., Mary B., Cyndi R., Susan D., Ann G., Sandra M., Judy S., and many others who offered encouragement along the way. You are the reason I am where I am today. (I don't know where this passage originated but if you recognize the quote, I'd love to credit the author.)      ***************************************************** By the way, the cute house I mentioned  in the last newsletter sold in 8 days for full price. Yay!! A happy investor is planning the next house. You can read about it in the blog, if you missed it.       ********************************************************* I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the newsletter. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.

A Day in the Life of a Stager

Have you ever finished a crazy staging job and wished you'd had a videographer recording it? Because no one would believe it otherwise. Well, we just survived a true HGTV drama. It could have been a staging episode with all the deadlines and chaos. Excited and organized, two assistants and I arrived at the designated address on time. We were surprised to see the contractor's vehicle still there along with a few cabinet people and painters. The RE agent, stripped to his undershirt (and pants, of course), is sweeping the floors. Yike! I knew we only had a few hours before the first people would arrive for the highly publicized open house. The contract clearly states that the home must be cleaned and ready before the staging day. Hmm! Let me back up a bit. This home was a rehab in a popular downtown historic area. The owner lived in the New Jersey/New York area and had just flown in the day before. Things were not completely finished. It happens. He usually has 4 or 5 houses being renovated at the same time in NY and Jacksonville. This was our first job for him. I am hoping to be his favorite stager. Now, back to the drama.   We brought in our things and simply worked around the contractor's team. We started in the bathrooms while they finished in the kitchen and hung pictures while the floors were being cleaned. Before long, the furniture was arranged and the accessories all in place.    Just as we exited with the toolbox and empty bins, people were lining up by the front door to see the house. My heart was racing and we were all sweaty.... but happy that we could adjust our plan to accommodate our owner. Thank you to Charlene Hoadly and Katherine White who have staging businesses of their own but love to assist.   Just another day in the life of a stager. I totally love it and still pinch myself daily that I get to do this for a living. Yes, there is drama, frequent broken fingernails and sweat. This is Florida. HELLO!!! But it is so worth it and so valuable to homeowners. Our stats indicate that 90% of our homes sell in 15 days.  I'll let you know when it sells. Just put on the market. 3864 Concord St.     And a few words about the HOME & PATIO SHOW this past week-end... Also, thanks to Cort Rental and Sherwin Williams for their contributions to this year's Design Feature at the Home & Patio Show. The floors were provided by Keith at the Carpet Man. Also, thanks to Sandra Millis of Southern Comfort Redesign who partnered with me on the Psychology of Color 30 ft. display.  Everyone loved it and usually identified with either the warm or cool colored rooms. The colors Rainwashed and Bold Brick won out as the 2 wall colors after a detailed evaluation of homeowner favorites. I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the newsletter. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.

Curb Appeal for Dummies

 Avondale Porch 

               

I always enjoy styling and staging houses in our intracoastal neighborhood. 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 our 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 clients 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."

 

Riverside Historic District

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 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 95% of home buyers 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.

 

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.

             HGTV Smart House in Jacksonville Beach

 

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.

The decorators of the HGTV Smart House added 2 comfy chairs and a tray table with iced tea glasses and a pitcher. We call that Life Style staging.

 

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.

Magic Wanda Makes an Appearance

Women seem to frequently put their wants and needs on the back burner and sacrifice their dreams for a more convenient time. We seem to tolerate disorganization and sometimes chaos in our life to meet the demands of work and family. Take a minute today and do something for yourself that will cause you to move toward that goal of excellence in every area of your life. Suggestions---Clean out your make-up drawer, buy a book about getting organized, buy flowers for your kitchen or bathroom. Sometimes one little action in the right direction leads to another, and then another. Transformation begins with one small step. I just finished reading The Compound Effect by Daren Hardy. It suggests that one or a few small steps toward our goals will make the next small steps easier and soon the momentum carries us off into the wild blue yonder of our dreams.  It's true. I also recently read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which has been on the non-fiction NYTimes Bestseller List for a long time. Last week, it was #1. Found it at Costco for $9. That was my sign from God that I needed to read it. I started a small Goodwill box and soon my entire car was filled with clutter and clothes that don't fit anymore. It was insane! I couldn't stop. Old accessories and ratty towels are "outta here." Whew! I am so happy!  It all started with one little choice. Then my inner organizer, who shows up maybe twice a year, popped out of the closet. I call her Magic Wanda. Insanity for a day then I'm done. I do need to redo the pantry and closets, but alas, Magic Wanda has disappeared till next time. I wonder if that happens to Martha Stewart. Get one or both of these books for a little late summer motivation. Godspeed in your endeavors to keep moving in the right direction.  Your home is an extension of your heart. It represents your personal statement to the world and to yourself. When we fill our lives with things that uplift us, we become a product of that environment. Having an organized and beautiful home is about honoring the very important person who lives there...YOU.        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the newsletter. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.

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 awhile ago, several of the best speakers mentioned the same book. It was the short, but powerful Purple Cow.

The essence of the book tells us to simply, "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... funny preflight instructions, for example, and their antics at the airport check-in counter are noteworthy. The SW employees took part in an 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's  hard not to notice what he contributed to the tech world. He created 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 an industry is in the process of creating a permanent place for itself in 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." 

  

STAGER SPOTLIGHT

One of Transformations grads who has come to my attention lately is Becky Robbins from St. Louis. Her website is gorgeous. www.beckyrobbinsdesigns.com Check out her amazing website. She just put up a great, out-of-the-box video that was locally produced by the company who created her website. 

Becky, you are remarkable!

RESA Meeting News

Social Media Marketing Strategist, Mary Habres, will let you in on a few secrets she has learned which will make your social media marketing more effective.  You don't want to miss this presentation! 

Location:     Southeast Branch of Jax Public Library - Meeting Room B

                     10599 Deerwood Park Blvd.

                     Jacksonville, Florida 32256

Date:            Friday, July 10, 2015

Time:           10:15 am - 11:45 am

Topics:         The Secrets of Successful Social Media Marketing

• Should your business be on social media sites?
• Which sites should your business frequent?
• What type of social media activity does Google favor?
• What are the most popular things to post? How does social media affect your SEO? 

Please RSVP early as Mary's last presentation was packed!  Please respond to this email or call 904-710-1428 to reserve a seat.

Our meetings are open to anyone interested in staging or design. Realtors are especially welcome.

Cost of our meeting is $5 which is used to support our fundraising efforts and giving back to our community.  RESA Jacksonville chapter's annual membership is a bargain at $25!

New Ideas for Your Business

I love networking with successful people. I have a few nuggets of info for you from one of those meetings and also from stager Cathy Malone, who was our "roving reporter" at the RESA convention.   I met with stager Amy Maynor from Beauty for Homes last week for a brainstorming session. Amy produced 2 shows for HGTV in the early days of the network. She's also coordinated numerous high-end home renovations over the years so she brings a lot of experience to her client's projects. I  reminded her of the value of tapping into a variety of social media outlets, other than just FaceBook. LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google + and HOUZZ are all free. You must have a profile on these sites!!   **She came up with a great idea for a different kind of portfolio presentation... a hardback photobook. I LOVE that idea. They are usually less than $20 and quite simple to create. We have been displaying photos in a simple album and more recently, an iPad. I can't wait to implement this idea.   **Another great idea that works for Amy is offering a savings if someone purchases a time block. She charges $100 an hour for under 5 hours but $75 an hour for a 5-hour time block. $375, a savings of $125. She said almost everyone purchases the 5-hour block. Great idea!!   Cathy Malone sent lots of notes and great tips from numerous speakers at the RESA convention. I'll be sharing some of them over a period of time. Here are 2...   **One tidbit of info from the convention which is easy to implement immediately: offer the option of paying with a credit card. A bank merchant account is complex to set up and the fees are costly. If you have a Pay Pal account, which is free, you can invoice your clients with your pretty logo by email in a matter of minutes. They can pay quickly and easily, even if they don't have an account. Pay Pal also has a swipe device for your iPhone similar to Square. No excuses stagers! Your clients will appreciate the convenience and you will not appear like a part-time decorator who can only take cash or a check.   **The last tip from RESA speaker, Carol Bass, is to "tell them a story." If you begin sharing the staging benefits with a true story, you have them more engaged and relaxed. Rattling off stats can be artificial and sound canned. I just finished the book, Lead with a Story by Paul Smith so I was already on board with this idea.   So, that all folks. till next time.     I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the blog. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.

FAQ and New Pictures

What's new for 2015? What is changing in our industry? Any predictions for the future of home staging and redesign? I get questions about the future of our industry all the time. We speak regularly to real estate investors, agents and home buyers in our area. We also participate in a monthly conference call with the Real Estate Staging Association chapter presidents from around the country.   What is happening locally and nationally? Locally, those of us who have websites and a social media presence are busier than ever. This has been my best January in 10 years. More home sellers are open and enthusiastic about hiring a stager.   Are agents attitudes about the value of staging improving? Agent's attitudes locally about staging haven't been changing as fast as we would like. The younger ones value our services more. We have a number of agents who stage nearly every listing. Agents tell me that if they recommend home staging and the homeowners decline, if the property sits on the market too long, those homeowners don't blame the agent. That's a pretty good reason but our stats continue to improve. 30 days vs 90 days on the market. 95% of our listings sell within 2 weeks.    What are the trends in home staging? Have you noticed how Baskin Robbins Ice Cream has partnered with Dunkin Donuts? They share a building to minimize costs. One of the trends we see is that home stagers are partnering with others service providers to be a "one stop shop" for the home owners. Things like organizing and senior move management top the list. One of our class graduates partners with a photographer/ videographer; another with a cleaning company. Everyone gets more business.   How are your class grads doing now? Recently, one of our local stagers, Kelly Wulburn, appeared on a pilot for a new HGTV series. The house sold in 6 days, by the way.  Another grad from California is being considered for an HGTV reality show. Jaima  Emmert from Jaima Brown Home is an international fabric designer. Randa Clark is a designer and stager in Chicago who specializes in chemical sensitivities. Gale Marcell from the Palm Beach area gets great opportunities to update multi-million dollar homes built in the glory days of the area.    Interestingly enough, one of our grads from 5 years ago is THE home stager for a chain of 13 real estate offices in Pennsylvania. She got placed on the vendor list of one office and gradually the others added her. She averages $2000 a job and is a busy gal. If you are a grad, please let me know how you are doing. I would LOVE to hear from you.   What are you working on right now? Currently, we are staging a 6,000 sq. ft. home on the Intra-coastal waterway... 8 bathrooms, for crying out loud. It was pretty nice before we began.  It has taken about 26 man hours to complete. We are still waiting for the professional photos but some of my favorite pictures from my camera are included here. A mountain of furniture and accessories came out and went to storage. We loved every minute working on this fun project, not to mention the added benefit of getting to know the interesting couple who own this amazing property.   Any continuing ed webinars coming up? Yes, next week we will do an encore of our Curb Appeal presentation. It's a short webinar and you can participate. If you wish to join us, sign up by emailing me. EMAIL Very limited space.Tuesday 2-10-15 at 3:00PM EST  I am so grateful for those of you who take the time to read the blog. You are truly good friends. Have a beautiful day.           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~