The Flufftastic Fairy Says: Make the Most of Your Small Space - the Dining RoomWe live in a small house, just over 1000 sq feet. It was built in the '40's and has a lot of character, that's why we love it! Unfortunately there isn't always room for all my stuff... Many people have the same problem and here are some ideas to make your small Dining Room more efficient! (Here are some tips for your Living Room & Kitchen) Paint the walls and ceiling in the same shade, that way corners and boundaries disappear. Lighter shades are better for small rooms, but dining rooms can be intimate and moody with a darker shade. As long as everything (fabric, drapes, paint) is in the same tones the room will still appear larger. Midtone paints tend to change colours with the light creating different moods... 01/14/2012

The Flufftastic Fairy Says: Make the Most of Your Small Space - the KitchenWe live in a small house, just over 1000 sq feet. It was built in the '40's and has a lot of character, that's why we love it! Unfortunately there isn't always room for all my stuff... Many people have the same problem and here are some ideas to make your small Kitchen more efficient! (Here are some tips for your Living Room.) Paint the walls and ceiling in the same shade, that way corners and boundaries disappear. Having the cabinets the same colour also can make the room appear larger. Stainless steel back splash can also reflect light and like a mirror make a room appear larger. Changing texture is a good way to keep it from getting boring, a marble backs plash in the same tone as a glossy cabinet surface will... 01/13/2012

The Flufftastic Fairy Says: Make the Most of Your Small Space - the Living RoomWe live in a small house, just over 1000 sq feet. It was built in the '40's and has a lot of character, that's why we love it! Unfortunately there isn't always room for all my stuff... Many people have the same problem and here are some ideas to make your small Living Room look larger! Paint the walls and ceiling in the same shade, that way corners and boundaries disappear. Buy furniture with narrow or no arms. Bulky furniture or wide arms on sofas or chairs just waste space. (armless are also easier to move in or out!) You can have a large chaise or daybed that won't take up as much space but will still have lots of seating! Use glass topped tables, they appear smaller because there is no boundary and light ... 01/12/2012

How Valuable is the Real Estate Board to Property Stylists?I have been thinking about joining the local Real Estate Board. I don't know if it would be worth the money ($2000) for whatever benefits/status I might get.Do home inspectors or other professions besides Realtors benefit? I know there was one Staging company listed in there and it is a very well known company here. But I also know this company spends a lot of money on advertising too. Just wanted the opinion of everyone, I need to think about what my advertising budget should be this year and what I should spend it on and if joining the local board would even qualify for that category...   01/10/2012

Monday Motivational Moment! I'm determined to have even more success in my business this year. Last year I had fits and starts, in my marketing, but have been working very hard at it the first week of the new year. I came across this quote from motivational speaker Anthony Robbins and thought it applied...   "What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are."       Tony Robbins 01/09/2012

Holy-Get-A-Home-Stager-Batman!I've been perusing MLS again and emailing Real Estate Agents that might be in need of helping their clients understand the benefit in investing in Home Staging.I wrote a post the other day about a room that was in a vacant home but was still full of all stuff Spider-man.Today I found another super hero about to be passed on to some unsuspecting buyer! I emailed the agent and haven't heard back, but fingers crossed the sellers don't have to wait too long to realize they might need to tone this room down. Or just know that there will be a finite number of buyers who would be interested in this room as is...   01/05/2012

What happens After an Email Marathon? After 3 days I have finally emailed most of the Realtors from 42 pages of one MLS site here in Edmonton. Each page had 12 listings.  I say most because it was very hard to find some of them and eventually just emailed their brokerage and put attn so&so. Who knows if they'll actually get the email... I didn't email any agents twice, because I thought that might be annoying... You can really tell the agents who have figured out how important the internet is. I will be telling the agents who want to work with me about Active Rain! I made a form letter that I could paste the MLS numbers of the different listings into so the agents would know which listing I was emailing them about. Then I found I had to tweak the letter into different categories: vacant... 01/04/2012

It Was a Vacant House, But Then Spider-man Moved In! I was perusing MLS today trying to find Real Estate Agents that might need help making their clients understand the value of Home Staging and Property Styling. I have been seeing so many vacant homes that I have written a form letter and am cutting and pasting, only changing the MLS number when emailing Agents. It has saved a lot of time, and my fingers! I found this vacant home today and thought it was just another one until I came across this photo. I wrote to the agent and called it the Spider-man house, because you know that's what buyers are calling it, I said it might not appeal to the larger market and perhapes the home would benefit from Home Staging... I haven't heard back yet...   01/03/2012

Have You Checked Out the Publicity Hound? Since we all want the public to find us, marketing is essential. The trouble is not all of us are natural born marketers! Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound can help with that! She has a free newsletter with lots of tips and ideas on marketing, plus she loves dogs and usually has a dog joke to make you smile! This is a new year to get yourself noticed, so check out Joan Stewart, you won't be barking up the wrong tree!       01/03/2012

The End to a Lovely Meal! Dessert at Bistecca Restaurant, Edmonton! We have friends, Paddy and Debbie, whose birthdays are the same month as my husband Dave's. So we try to get together to celebrate everyone's at once and maybe a little pre-b-day for me, since my birthday is exactly one month to the day after my husbands. I call him the older man! :D Since we couldn't all get together in November, we went out last Wednesday, so we could get everyone's b-day celebration in before the year's end and 'do' Christmas as well! Debbie has a gluten allergy so we let her pick a place she could find something to eat. She picked Bistecca Restaurant and Wine Bar on the south side of Edmonton. (pronounced Bee- stek- ah) Our waiter, Mike, was very helpful in making sure Debbie had everything she want... 01/02/2012

What a Way to Start Out the New Year! I'm celebrating! I just realized I hit 300 posts! Who knew I could come up with so many things to write about!?! With my first year in the Active Rain coming rapidly to a close I realize my number of posts should be higher, but I don't post every day, although I will be making a more concerted effort in 2012. Thanx to everyone who commented on my posts in 2011, you have made my life richer by your friendship and the information you've passed on to me! Here's to a New Year fraught with new and exciting things to do and see!   01/02/2012

Thoughts for the First Day of the YearWhen thinking about what New Years resolution or goals to make there are some things to take into consideration. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.  Unknown  I'll be making this a priority to make sure people know I do care.Happy New Year, Let's make it the best one yet! 01/01/2012

New Years Eve Thoughts...Today is the last day for resolutions. I read this quote and thought about my plan for the next 12 months. In the confrontation between the stream and the rock the stream always wins... Not through strength, but by perseverance.H. Jackson Brown I hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve! See you Next Year! 12/31/2011

The Best Known Christmas Tune From my Youth! Bet you were thinking Jingle Bells... I bought this movie when it came out on VHS, that's how it came out first! That's how much I loved it! If I had a deep voice like Boris Karloff, I'd even attempt singing it, and although there have been covers of this tune, no one has touched the original! Hope your Holiday season is Merry and there aren't any Grinches in sight! Here are the other Carols I've posted: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 12/24/2011

A Manhattan Transfer Will Get You To Christmas! I've been a Manhattan Transfer fan before I even knew who they were! I remember singing along to 'Boy From New York City' and 'Operator' when I was very young when the artists name was not something that I even knew to care about. We have their Christmas album and if there's a song on that CD that will get you in the mood, this is it! As They say: Happy Holidays to you! Here are some of the other Carols I've posted: 1, 2, 3, 4 12/24/2011

Eagles' Carol! Please Come Home For Christmas! Most people don't associate Christmas with The Eagles. Life in the Fast lane or Hotel California, now you're talking! But Don Henley takes the lead on this blues inspired Carol that I have wanted to perform with our band forever! Please Come Home For Christmas; not only a lovely sentiment, but done in the classic blues style! Merry Christmas and here's hoping everyone you want home for Christmas arrives! Here are some more Carols I've posted: 1, 2, 3, 4   12/24/2011

Deck Us All With Boston Charlie! Funnest Christmas Carol Evvaaaarrr! We have a lot of great Christmas CDs, but one of our favourites is called a Jazz Christmas. Duke Ellington, Dave Brubek and many others perform some unique versions of the classics. But the one song that would always make us laugh is Deck Us All With Boston Charlie! At first you don't know if you're listening to a buch of folks who've been going overboard with the Christmas cheer, but then... A jazz scat master and great jazz pianist make this song worth a listen! Here are some of the other Carols I've posted: 1, 2, 3, 4   12/23/2011

Two Thousand Miles. A Unique Christmas Carol. Holly Cole has a interesting way with songs. She reinvented I can see Clearly Now many years ago and I became a fan then. Since then I've bought many of her CD's including a few Christmas albums. I hope you enjoy this one! Merry Christmas and a joyous Holiday Season! Here are some of the other Carols I've posted: 1, 2, 3, 4 12/23/2011

The Little Drummer Boy Like You've Never Heard.I have been a Michael Franti fan for a long time, but when this version of Little Drummer Boy came on the radio today it brought tears to my eyes. The Blind Boys of Alabama are the perfect background to this soulful and simple rendition of a classic Holiday favourite.Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Joyous Holiday Season! Here are some of the other Carols I've posted: 1, 2, 3, 4 12/22/2011

A Kid's View of Christmas! Precious! 'Tis the season! Everyone is spreading the cheer by sending me lovely notes and wishes via email and cards. It's wonderful to receive these reminders of friends and family. I was sent this wonderful You Tube Video of; 'A Kid's View of Christmas' and wanted to share it with you! Touching, funny and so real are the answers coming out of these children's mouths! Enjoy and Merry Christmas! 12/21/2011