The Help Santa Toy Parade is rearing its beautiful head as final preparations are underway for Saturday's event in Ottawa. For one, downtown Ottawa on Friday night will see dozens of local firefighters in their Movember mustaches and work attire holding out their boots for booty to help those in need. I've been very lucky to help clients create beautiful spaces but when it comes down to it, the biggest feeling of accomplishment is having helped someone in need. These people don't worry about having the perfect lamp...they're happy enough to just have a lamp, or to have a bed to sleep on. The Help Santa Toy Parade was down in numbers last year apparently. So they're hoping to make this year more of a success.

So, why not create a more beautiful world by helping someone in need?! Whether it's giving to the food bank, or giving gently used clothes and household items to the local Salvation Army. Every little bit helps. Just something to think about this holiday season.

Making a house a home is a statement that you have probably heard many times before. When you SELL your house, in order to sell it faster and for more money, you need to look at it as a product. In order to sell it well, it should no longer be looked at as that wonderful personal place you call home, but rather as a house...an item...a product....that you try to make as attractive and sellable as possible, so that someone else will want to buy it. It's when you BUY a house....THAT'S where the home part becomes important. Upon moving into a new place, it's the true-to-self pieces of furniture and accessories, and custom paint colours etc, that set the mood for the personal sanctuary we all crave.

What about decorating your new home? Can you—the self-proclaimed minimalist who starts to itch at the very mention of lace and baskets—find solace in an old Victorian home in Manotick with its wonderful gingerbreading and amazing interior architectural details? Or do you think you have to bite the bullet and go (dare I say it)...country?  Hold off on the Brad Paisley cd....of course not! If you're selling, then I'd have to say....yes! But, If you're there to stay for a bit, then you can create some fantastic drama between the Victorian's large detailed mouldings and your much loved Le Corbusier loungers. If you're not sure how to pull it all together, that's where an interior decorator comes in because making a house a home is what we do best!

I remember buying my first home. The papers were signed and there we were...home owners. I didn't sleep a wink that night. Now I couldn't just call a landlord to take care of the mainetenance or any problems that would arise. We were now the almighty landlords, so it was all on our shoulders. But once I wrapped my head around a good cup of tea the next morning and thought about all the pluses of owning a home—the freedom to change it as per your own style; pride of ownership; ability to sell and make a good return on investment—then, I realized the decision was the best decision I could've made!

June 16th was the annual BNI Golf Day for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The day started out pretty good, but boy...by the 7th hole, it came down on us with a vengeance! Luckily for me, one of my team members had extra umbrellas and rain gear. Despite the rain, we putted our way to the top by winning the putt contest. Yay! But for us, rain did not a good game of golf make...so we hung up our clubs and went inside for the last 9 holes. Some crazy people (4 teams) finished the whole game; good for them. All in all, a fun day and we helped to raise $12,000 for Make-A-Wish which would assist 2 needy families this year. Warms you up on a chilly, wet day!

This photo shows Andrew Collier (the well prepared golfer), Jean Richer, Me and Gaetan Bernier. What a team!

Wow...the spring weather has really come on fast! And it has people in the mood to renovate, refresh and even relocate! I have several nice projects on the go right now. One is a new home buyer who wants to make this new place his own by changing flooring, colours, kitchen and bathrooms and all the details that go along with it. It's very exciting to see the transformation of a dated home spread its wings and become a beautiful swan in a few short months. So far, we're going for an Arts & Crafts stying with warm oak flooring throughout by a wonderful company called Logsend. The flooring is made from selvaged logs from the Ottawa River. Very beautiful and very strong! I'll keep you posted on this home's progress! Have a great week!

This weekend is the Ottawa Home & Garden Show and I will be manning the Canadian Decorators' Association booth #3331. We offer 10-minute "Ask a Decorator" sessions to show participants. I took part in the show last year too. I love the challenge of solving design dilemmas right on the spot. If anyone is in the Ottawa area; hope to see you there!

Whoa, it was an early Monday today; up at 5 then networking by 6:30 at a business breakfast. I go to a weekly breakfast on Wednesdays already, but doing the same on a Monday kind of threw me off kilter. But, the group included many familiar faces and I met some really nice people from the Embrun BNI Chapter which is my neck of the woods. Too weird that I sat down next to them when I could've sat anywhere else. They must've been giving off positive vibes! Anyways, it's looking to be a nice week, with some new clients to meet and getting a yoga studio transformation underway. Brings me back to a hot yoga class I took one time; wow....never again. I did one move where I almost lost my lunch. The instructor said that was normal and my body was just getting rid of toxins. I almost got rid of them all over the unsuspecting guy in front of me. I'll just keep my toxins, thank you...I like them and they like me....

The sun is fighting to come through the clouds on this plus 7 morning. The first thing on my plate for this busy Saturday was chocolate chip pancakes and maple syrup...for tis the season! You see, I can't function hungry—never could. I get very involved in staging jobs sometimes and start moving stuff around clients' homes just so I can show them right away what a new layout can do for a space. I can't do that on an empty stomach. Today is going be one of those days as I have a client moving into a new place. Although not physically, we'll be working out ideas and shoving things around mentally today. Which is another reason to have a good breakfast; to get the mind on the go. So, early this morning, I gave my husband the intense care-bear-stare so that when he opened his eyes just a smidge....I beamed "Pancakes!?", and the day began!

I worked hard on Saturday so I could give myself a day off yesterday for family day (my boss is such a meany). I hope everyone had a fantastic day with loved ones. After catching some Olympic highlights (we're doing alright so far!), a few members of my family...husband, sisters, brother in laws, nephews..met on the Rideau canal for a beautiful afternoon of skating. What a fabulous day. Then of course, a hot chocolate, and a beavertail—the maple ones are majorly messy (not first-date cuisine for sure), but pretty yummy. Then off to a nice buffet dinner together. Man, who'd think that a 12 year old (my nephew) could put back so many mussells, or even WANT to, for that matter. When we got home, the neighbours offered up a hot tub soak. What a way to end the day....simmering in a steamy tub under a clear, starry night, laughing about the day's happenings. It's so easy to get caught up in the madness of work, especially if you work for yourself. But, days like yesterday put it all into perspective. Life is good! Now my mind can focus more clearly on the other families who look to me for fabulous design, decor and staging.

Okay, my blackberry didn't take a GREAT shot, but it's something. Here's me (right) with my sisters Natasha and Nancy.

WOW! Where did the week go? But, it's been a good one. I'm very excited as the house I mentioned previously that wasn't selling for FOREVER, is conditionally sold.  The inspection went smashingly and I'm looking forward to February 20th.  Important to keep in mind that high end homes aren't easy sells, so flipping is best kept to the $250-$400,000 range home where it's more cosmetic than "hidden" extras like foundations, and septics etc. My client and I just got so excited when we saw this place. Anyways, it's done and I say....bring on the next one!