Just popping in to wish you all a wonderful Day!                  

Ladies Retreat

I had the privelege last weekend of attending our church's annual women's retreat on Lake Couer D'Alene.
It was a wonderful time of fellowship, fun, great spiritual enrichment, too much food, and lots of laughter. The theme for the weekend was Pass the Salt, based on the passage in Matthew 5:13. You are the salt of the earth. In biblical times, salt was a precious resource and was a very valuable commodity.  Isn't it amazing that Jesus, the Lord of the universe thinks of us as a valuable resource, a precious commodity.
I came away from the weekend wondering... Am I doing enough to further the kingdom of heaven. Do I make those around me feel like they are valuable? Do I treat others as if they too are precious in the sight of the Lord? I profess to be a Christian woman. Do others know that about me, do they see Christ in me? Am I different than the rest of the world?  If my answer to any of these things is no, then what do I need to do to change? These are the things mulling around in my head this past few days.  Just wanted to share that with you.
Praying that your week is blessed and that you realize how precious you all are.

My Cabin group

Color is a language all it's own

Once color meets our eyes, it enters through our brain and speaks to us. The way we interpet it is as unique as the individual looking at it. For example, a pale blue room may feel cold to some and relaxing and restful to another. Red may seem angry to some and represent boldness to others. Pink may mean baby or little girl while to another it symbolizes romance.
Color is very often tied to our emotions. We say we are blue when sad, we see red when mad, yellow means cheerful, and some, are green with envy. Color can evoke a physical response also. Studies have shown that red for example, actually triggers increases in heartbeat and blood pressure. Here are a few general perceptions that we have regarding some of the primary and secondary colors.
Red.................      Exciting, Energetic, Dynamic, Confidence
Orange...........       Spicy, Festive, Zesty, Stimulating
Yellow............       Cheerful, Friendly, Vivacious, Playful, Happy
Blue................       Serene, Dependable, Freshness, Cool, restful
Green..............       Refreshing, Clean,  Restful, Responsible
Purple.............        Royalty, Passion, Artistic, Elegant   

I am sure you can think of many other emotions tied to color. I would love to have everyone share their favorite colors and the emotion that comes to mind when you think of that color.    

Staging Series finale

When most people hear the phrase staging a home they immediately think of preparing the home's interior — painting, arranging furniture etc. While the interior is important, the home's exterior is an equally important (but often overlooked) home staging hot-spot.

Curb appeal is exactly what it sounds like. When potential buyers pull up to the curb in front of your home. It must create in them a feeling of "wow" I want to see what is onthe inside.
How do we do that?
Start by creating a list of items needing attention. Go out to the curb in front of your house wand jot down anything that needs attention.
Do the weeds need pulled? DO you need to mow the lawn or trim the shrubs.
If the home's paint is chipped or faded, give it a fresh coat.
If the door and shutters are different colors, you may want to make them the same color. Choose the color that's the more neutral of the two and standardize the color scheme.
Consider adding bark or rock to the flowerbeds.
Weather and season permitting, plant or pot some fresh flowers outside the front door. For simplicity, you might want to stick to potted plants. This will allow you to place them wherever you need them, and with less effort. Bright plants or flowers do a lot to enhance the entry.
Think "yellow" when adding plants to your home's entry. Yellow is Cheerful and very welcoming.
While there are so many more things I could add, I hope this has given you some food for thought and helped create a home that buyers would love. In addition, as many of you have mentioned, there is great info here for your home weather you are selling or not.

Staging series part 4

Now that you have cleaned things up and organized closets and drawers, it's time to think about color. If you are still living with builder white walls, you may consider a fresh coat of a warm neutral color to enhace the coziness of the home. On the other hand if your walls are filled with bright loud color or so many colors that if feels like a patchwork quilt, then it is a good idea to paint. Remember that while you may love how it all looks, You need to create the environment that will appeal to the majority of potential buyers. Next start at your entry and wander through your home as if you were a potential buyer. Do you notice the room or just the "stuff"? Is there too much furniture?
Are the pathways too narrow?
Are the walls full of way too many groupings?
Are the kitchen counters cluttered with too many appliances?
What about the bathrooms. Are they clean and tidy?
Be honest with yourself as you go throughout your home and try to decide what could be placed in storage to help make the areas feel cleaner and larger.
Again, remember that if you don't feel you can do this, bring in a stager to do it for you.
The money spent on hiring a stager will be the best money spent on helping you get top dollar for your home.
Please join me Wednesday, we will talk about the outside or your home and how to stage it to sell.