http://activerain.com/blogs/jdsdecordesign en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/1346306/do-your-clients-need-a-face-lift- <p><strong>Do Your&nbsp;Clients Bathroom or Kitchen Cabinets&nbsp;Need a Face Lift? </strong></p> <p>Often times a small remodeling budget precludes any cabinet&nbsp;updating save for a few coats of paint. If you have dowdy laminate cabinets, paint usually doesn't make the grade when trying to give an attractive update to an old kitchen or bathroom, mainly because <strong><em>laminate does not hold the paint very well and can peal off easily and or bubble in humid environments</em></strong>. The steam from your&nbsp;shower or boiling pot of pasta can&nbsp;ruin the paint job&nbsp;faster than you can say spaghetti carbonara.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Tree Frog Ad" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/2/4/6/0/ar125866617806421.jpg" height="605" alt="Tree Frog Ad" width="600" style="vertical-align: middle;" /><img title="Treefrog ad" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/1/3/6/1/ar125866938616316.jpg" height="259" alt="Treefrog ad" width="600" /></p> <p>As most sellers are under a tight budget these days a&nbsp;<strong><em>cost effective&nbsp;alternative</em></strong> to cabinet replacement or painting&nbsp;is <strong><em>hardwood veneer&nbsp;laminate</em></strong>. Not only does it improve the look of old cabinets it can add quantifiable value to&nbsp;your property for sale. I recently fell in love with&nbsp;a company called <a href="http://www.treefrogveneer.com" target="_blank">Treefrog</a>&nbsp;that offers a surprising array of amazing exotic and modern hardwood laminates to compliment and enhance any interior space. Of course&nbsp;hardwood veneer&nbsp;laminates&nbsp;can be used in many applications aside from just cabinet refacing. Let your imagination run wild with Zebrawood or Wenge and take your Real Estate Merchandising to a whole new plain of posibilities.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;Learn more at <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102834045099&amp;s=28748&amp;e=001UuNQYSzmaDJm1ScM00KY461406LibnFo-2eg9KcEoNgqOAwafJvwo1XiZlcxpJkq_rWGgKTs9bdfPfobEjS6Okzct2R_MDyaTyQXz3X0e0VqItva9Bmumw==" title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102834045099&amp;s=28748&amp;e=001UuNQYSzmaDJm1ScM00KY461406LibnFo-2eg9KcEoNgqOAwafJvwo1XiZlcxpJkq_rWGgKTs9bdfPfobEjS6Okzct2R_MDyaTyQXz3X0e0VqItva9Bmumw==" target="_blank">treefrogveneer.com</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; </strong><strong>Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:31:22 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1346306/do-your-clients-need-a-face-lift- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1318796/virtually-staged-the-kitchen-at-909-kapiolani-honolulu-hi-96813 <p><strong>Is it real or is it virtual? More importantly does it really matter? </strong>Some naysayers say&nbsp;it's&nbsp;a disappointment when potential buyers arrive to find an empty space&nbsp;but if the potential buyer knows it's virtually staged&nbsp;what&nbsp;is important is that&nbsp;interested buyers make an appointment to view the property not whether it's actually staged or not.</p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/7/6/5/8/ar125730763285674.jpg" height="410" alt="" width="614" /></p> <p><strong>Virtually Staged: </strong>The Kitchen in a one bedroom condo at 909 Kapiolani, Honolulu Hawaii 96813, virtually staged by JDS Consulting.</p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/7/8/0/7/ar125730771670875.jpg" height="410" alt="" width="614" /></p> <p><strong>The benefits of virtual staging can easily be&nbsp;appreciated by sellers who wish to make their relatively new investment properties stand out from other identical properties for sale&nbsp;in their building or development.</strong>&nbsp;Virtual staging costs a fraction of&nbsp;what one would spend&nbsp;on actual staging. When there is little to differentiate one property from the next in a new development, virtually staged&nbsp;properties get buyers attention and define the property as unique allowing buyers to easily picture themselves living in your property for sale.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; </strong></p> <ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:15:44 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1318796/virtually-staged-the-kitchen-at-909-kapiolani-honolulu-hi-96813 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1310672/spooky-fun-tasty-treats-happy-halloween- <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img title="Halloween Greeting Created By Kimo Stowell" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/4/0/0/7/ar125686812270046.jpg" height="596" alt="Halloween Greeting Created By Kimo Stowell" width="384" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>I love Halloween and up to a few years ago it was a month long event in my life; full of parties, entertaining, and dressing up in costumes, you know the whole nine yards. </strong></p> <p><strong>Unfortunately, as of late I just don't celebrate <em>All Hallows Eve</em> like I used too but, none the less, I would like to share my enthusiasm for the holiday with my online friends;&nbsp;offering some heart felt treats I hope you enjoy.&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>So please indulge me for a little while, find your inner child, suspend your sense of&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;and imagine yourself "Trick or Treating" deep in the Wallachian forests of Romania... Suddenly in the long dark shadows of the Carpathian Mountains you&nbsp;stumble upon&nbsp;my haunted castle... don't be afraid, I won't bite...hard.</strong></p> <p>So you <strong>Knock,Knock,Knock...Trick or Treat! </strong><br />(In a thick and flowing&nbsp;Romanian Accent I answer the castle door)</p> <p>Ah... children of the night...To all my Friendly Fiends, some thoughtful treats for your candy bag that won't rot your teeth...</p> <p><br />I know what your thinking... it's tantamount to getting socks for Christmas but believe me these treats will entertain your brain longer than the sugar high you will get from all the candy your going to eat anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/3/2/1/2/ar125687082821233.jpg" height="114" alt="" width="109" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <ul> <li><strong></strong></li> <li><strong></strong></li> <li><strong>The first treat is a most excellent Booook</strong>... ok, now open your bag, didn't your parents teach you&nbsp;any manners...ah that's better...yes&nbsp;I know it's Halloween and candy isn't everything"</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><img title="Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/1/9/8/ar125686884689147.jpg" height="230" alt="Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk" width="157" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The Haunted House on the Market:</strong></p> <p>What do Haunted Houses, Witches, Necrophilia, and a Realtor have in common? You'll find them all in this fascinating novel <strong>"Lullaby"</strong>by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of <strong>"Fight Club"</strong>. I enjoyed this creative, funny, and poignantly profound novel about the nature of love, power and how human beings confuse the two. The premise of the book is about a journalist who stumbles upon a book of children's bed time stories that has the power to kill. He meets a Realtor who&nbsp;specializes in&nbsp;haunted houses and&nbsp;some witches who have an agenda of their own.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/5/3/2/6/ar125687091762355.jpg" height="116" alt="" width="114" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The second treat&nbsp;is a Vat of Brains, ha ha ha ha</strong>... Don't say eeeww, again with the manners...no your not supposed to eat it, it's a brain teaser...it's food for thought...that's right brain food.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="DO NOT USE - Lush Rimbaugh - ABNORMAL" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/6/5/9/ar125688829295689.jpg" height="388" alt="DO NOT USE - Lush Rimbaugh - ABNORMAL" width="308" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p><strong>The Brain in the Vat:</strong></p> <p>With all the political and societal blah blah blah these days it unnerves me to see our country bickering like the Bikersons; blaming this person or that about the state of our society, Real Estate market, government, planet, etc. There are&nbsp;a multitude&nbsp;of political pundits, talking heads, media personalities, and bloggers all claiming to know the real&nbsp;"truth",&nbsp;trying to out shout one another with their particular perspective as being the one and only correct reality.&nbsp;All the while assailing any other perspective as corrupt, conspiratorial, unqualified, insane, or satanic.</p> <p>Well that got my brain thinking...</p> <p>Remember the old horror flicks where the mad scientist cuts open the top of a persons head and removes the brain and suspends it in a vat of life-sustaining liquid, and through electrodes connects it to a computer that provides electrical impulses identical to those the brain would normally receive. The computer would then send electrical input to the brain resulting in the brain sensing a virtual world full of sights, sounds, tastes, etc.</p> <p>The disembodied brain would think that it had a body, arms, legs, eyes, and could move about in the computer generated environment without any ability to distinguish that in fact it was just a brain in a vat. Well it's not all science fiction. The <strong>brain in a vat </strong>is also a&nbsp;philosophical tool used in experiments of the mind&nbsp;to examine our collective ideas of knowledge, reality, and truth.</p> <p>The whole idea behind the <strong>brain in a vat</strong>&nbsp;concept is the notion that ALL perceived&nbsp;reality is potentially false and what we believe to be FACT is merely a figment of our imagination. In other words if our perceived existence is simply the exchange of electrical impulses from sensory organs to the brain and those impulses can be created without the use of sensory organs which is what happens when we dream, then&nbsp;how&nbsp;can we really know for certain of what the truth really is? Does the brain really have the ability to know for sure it's understanding of reality is in fact real? Can it effectively&nbsp;tell the difference&nbsp;between, reality,&nbsp;dreaming, or&nbsp;whether it's merely floating in a vat in&nbsp;a mad scientists laboratory? The answer is no it can't. Sorry Bill O'Rielly, Bu-aha-ha-ha? Think Plato's <strong>"Allegory of the Cave"</strong> or the film <strong><em>The Matrix. </em></strong></p> <p><br />One of my favorite movies of all time is <strong><em>Young Frankenstein</em></strong> by the comic genius Mel Brooks this is a topical out take from the film for your enjoyment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NOe_4mgmyyA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/0/6/8/ar125687111586019.jpg" height="122" alt="" width="114" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" />&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The&nbsp;third Halloween treat is a ghastly ghost story from Hawai'i</strong>... it's based on a true story that I have embellished slightly for dramatic purposes... no I don't have any candy... yes I'm sure... if you don't keep quite I'll send you to my neigh-boo-r the Count...No he doesn't have any candy either&nbsp;you little junk food&nbsp;junkies, SILENCE before I turn you all into to toads... don't make me reach through the portcullis...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>L</strong><strong>ets Talk G</strong><strong>host Story:</strong></p> <p>The story begins after midnight on a dark moonless night in Honolulu, May 19th 1959. An ambulance rushed it's way down sleepy Beretainia St. towards Queens' Medical Center, as a young woman, writhing from an apparent nervous break down lay strapped to the gurney in back. The paramedic, hunched over the patient, tapped the excess sedative from the hypodermic and&nbsp;pushed it adroitly into the frantic woman's arm as she struggled against the leather straps that securely bound her.</p> <p>Babbling incoherently she arched her back as her head strained and convulsed from side to side; her dilated pupils made her eyes look like black coals, bottomless, full of terror. "She had no face!" She cackled, "she...no nothing...nothing there..." her voice trailed off and a few moments later the woman's overwrought neck and back relaxed and she lay motionless as the opiates pumped through her body, quieting the nervous system. Her eyes fluttering shut as her frantic heart began to find it's way back to it's normal beat.&nbsp; Her clenched jaw relaxed and fell slightly open, simultaneously her grip released what she had been holding in her bloodless fist since the paramedics first found her.</p> <p>The crumpled ticket stub precipitated to the floor skirting under the gurney. The paramedic reached down and scooped it up. It was saturated with sweat but the blotted lettering was still legible, the paramedic un- crumpled the stub hoping to find a clue as to why the woman went off the deep end in the middle of a movie. During the frenetic call he neglected to see what was posted on the marquee, perhaps it was a horror film. They had found her in the woman's restroom on the floor; her arms pushing her knees tightly to her chest she was barely breathing, as white as a ghost.</p> <p>Waiala'e Drive-In Theater 11:00pm, the stub read the rest was torn away. The theater manager said they had heard screams and a desperate pounding coming from the ladies restroom but the door was locked from the inside. When he finally returned with the key they found her alone, passed out. When she came to she gripped the managers hand and frightfully recounted the horror she experienced before lapsing into a catatonic state. "Some-ting bout' a wahine(woman) wid long red hair", the manger tentatively repeated to the ambulance driver as the paramedic pushed the gurney passed the two of them, "some wahine was already in the lua, standing at the mirror ya, combing her long red hair when dis' poor girl go to use the lua, the red hair wahine turn and look at her but she have no...the hum of the ambulance engine drowned out the managers words as the emergency lights flashed against the projection booth wall.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="The Noppera-Bo At the Old Waiala'e Drive-In Theater" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/2/0/1/5/ar125686897051025.jpg" height="325" alt="The Noppera-Bo At the Old Waiala'e Drive-In Theater" width="453" style="margin: 10px; vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>Speeding through the deserted streets cloaked in darkness the sirens wail reverberated into the quiet neighborhoods of downtown Honolulu as the black&nbsp;slope of Diamond Head&nbsp;and its imposing presence diminished slowly behind them. Scratching his head, the paramedic looked toward the driver who intently stared at him through the rearview mirror. The ambulance rambled&nbsp;through a red light and continued down the empty street.</p> <p>"Mujina", the driver eventually blurted out nervously. The paramedic looked inquisitively at his partner, vaguely remembering stories from his youth told by the Kupuna about the ghostly Mujina but it was just folklore, tall tales to scare the Keiki. "My Tutu talk story ya..."the Ambulance&nbsp;pitched to the left as it turned right onto Punchbowl St.</p> <p>"In Japan", he continued his eyes staring toward the port au chair at the hospital entrance."they call em' Noppera-bo, they look human but not quite... Shape shifters ya, look human but no face". The ambulance turned abruptly into the hospital drive, "No eyes, no nose, no mouth, ya... this girl got a real shock whatever she saw... scared her real good...almost to death ya bra. The paramedic finished buckeling the last strap on the straight jacket as the rear ambulance doors flew open. Two hulking orderlies grabbed the gurney as the retractable carriage clattered open and dropped errect&nbsp;to the pavement.&nbsp; The wheels, twirling,&nbsp;repositioned themselves in the the direction of the psychiatric ward, as the&nbsp;two hulks passed slowly through the empty hospital hallways.</p> <p>The faceless ghost known as a Mujina or Noppera-bo has been spotted several times in places as far away as Hilo on the Big Island. Since the Waiala'e Drive-in Theater demolition in the 1980's the Noppera-bo has been spotted at the women's restroom in Macy's at the Kahala Mall, Zippy's Restaurant and other lua's located near the old Kahala cemetery. It is beleived that the malignant entities purpose is to frighten it's victims and will wait for the perfect opportunity to do so. So watch out ladies next time you go to the toilet you never know who might be waiting for you. Boo!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Spooky Fun &amp; Tasty Treats: Happy Halloween!</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><strong>Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:10:52 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1310672/spooky-fun-tasty-treats-happy-halloween- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1290269/fill-your-yard-with-snakes-spiders-and-monsters-to-really-get-buyers-attention-with-tropical-curb-appeal- <p><img title="Edvard Munch's The Scream" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/3/5/0/7/ar125583792170531.jpg" height="241" alt="Edvard Munch's The Scream" width="204" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Is your curb appeal giving potential buyers the fright &amp; flight syndrome? Is the situation in your yard, grave and bone chilling?</strong></p> <p>Why not fill it with <strong>Snakes*, Spiders*, and Monsters*</strong> and turn that ghoulish haunt of a yard into a tropical paradise!</p> <p>Try adding some easy, low maintainence, tropical warmth with <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">SNAKE plants</span></strong>, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">SPIDER Lily's</span></strong>, and <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">MONSTERA deliciosa</span></strong>&nbsp;and really get buyers attention!</p> <ul> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> <p><strong></strong></p> </span></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> </ul> <p><strong> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nextag.com/norob/PtitleSeller.jsp?chnl=main&amp;tag=670496991&amp;ctx=cBB2tDmYYXsPGxKu56qtPQl3Ml%2B6sfrNWqhJaNeN%2BIkIQei8f55Vur6uzE0HJq46oCYQUylB6k6lycRjw7idW0oip0DHe3aq4ZNFjFEe%2BJ1XItglcr5xZKqFxAqTfY10GMmoTvgn6ykKqsQ09SRM%2BLam%2FpVklBIkltUH%2BRcZ5N%2B226%2B15AMRccFeOU%2Fd%2BrY5%2FvtewIVIjyzFf4%2FNTz%2FmHw%3D%3D&amp;ptitle=619029838" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img title="36&quot; Animated Spider Halloween Decoration" src="http://img01.static-nextag.com/image/36-Animated-Spider-Halloween/1/000/006/192/787/619278738.jpg" alt="36&quot; Animated Spider Halloween Decoration" style="float: right;" /></a></p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><img title="Snake Plant Curb Appeal - JDS Consulting" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/5/1/8/7/ar125583817878157.jpg" height="314" alt="Snake Plant Curb Appeal - JDS Consulting" width="210" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>*<span style="text-decoration: underline;">SNAKE Plant</span></strong>, <strong>(<em>Sanseveria trifasciata)</em></strong></p> <p>The <strong>Snake plant </strong>is so named because of the shape of its vertical growing, snake like leaves. Also known as <strong>mother-in-law's tongue</strong> because of it's pointy sharpness. In Japan it is known as <strong>Tiger's Tail </strong>and in Brazil it is commonly known as <strong>espada-de-s&atilde;o-jorge </strong>(sword-of-saint-george). A yellow-tipped variant is known as <strong>espada-de-santa-barbara </strong>(sword-of-saint-barbara). Rich in foklore this popular plant&nbsp;finds its origins in Zaire,&nbsp;Africa where the plant is used as a protective charm against evil or bewitchment. In China, it is used in Feng Shui as a houseplant because it is believed that&nbsp;the Eight Gods bestowed their eight virtues on those who grew them. These virtues include long life, prosperity, intelligence, beauty, art, poetry, health and strength. The Chinese often kept this plant potted in a pot adorned with dragons and phoenixes as the dragon attractive qualities&nbsp;of this plant is said to be magnetic. Even NASA has recognized the Snake Plant for it's air purification ability and to curb "Sick Building Syndrome."</p> <p>The Snake plant is a low maintenance, super sturdy succulent that grows just about anywhere. Its leathery sword-shape leaves are often marbled with gray green and may be edged with yellow or white. Although snake plant grows best in medium or bright light it will tolerate low light levels too. Let the soil dry between watering's as over watering is common. It grows best in temperatures from 30 to 50 degrees Celsius.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Curb Appeal with Variegated SPIDER Lily - JDS Consulting" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/0/3/5/2/ar125583835425307.jpg" height="314" alt="Curb Appeal with Variegated SPIDER Lily - JDS Consulting" width="210" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>*<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Variegated SPIDER Lily</span> <em>(Hymenocallis caribaea variegata)</em></strong></p> <p>Spider Lily is a tropical and subtropical species in the Tropical Hymenocallis category, and this bulbous perennial herb, blossoms all year long. Hymenocallis caribaea (Caribbean Spiderlily, Spider Lily, White Lily), produces bulbs, flowers, and remarkably giant&nbsp;sword like foliage.</p> <p>Its long sword-shaped leaves are 40-70 cm long and up to 6 cm wide at its broadest. Smooth-textured and glossy, Spider Lily leaves are&nbsp;erect and somewhat curved at the top end.&nbsp;The sessile leaves are dark green and sometimes variegated red. These grow best in shade to part sun but will grow in full sun if watered regularly.</p> <p>Spider Lily's blossom at night releasing a lovely aroma from dusk til dawn. Tropical Spider Lily's are much larger than their temperate, delicate, and Iris like cousins found&nbsp;on the mainland.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><img title="Spider Lily &amp; Monstera - JDS Consulting" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/3/8/5/7/ar125583866075833.jpg" height="214" alt="Spider Lily &amp; Monstera - JDS Consulting" width="320" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>*<span style="text-decoration: underline;">MONSTERA</span>, Split-leaf Philodendron (<em>Monstera deliciosa also called Ceriman, Swiss Cheese Plant (or just Cheese Plant), Fruit Salad Plant, Monster fruit, Monsterio Delicio, Monstereo, Mexican Breadfruit, Locust and Wild Honey, Windowleaf and Delicious Monster)</em></p> </strong></p> <p>This monstrous creeping vine native to tropical Central American rain-forests is a climbing relative of the philodendron from Mexico and Guatemala. It is popular yard plant here in Hawaii and in tropical and subtropical areas around the globe, growing well in partial sun but best in shade. If you have ever driven the Road to Hana or spent any time on the Windward sides of all the Hawaiian islands you will see this plant growing abundantly. The plant starts bearing fruit after three years and is a popular houseplant as well, however, it rarely fruits or blossoms indoors.</p> <p><img title="Monsterous Monstera Flower - JDS Consulting" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/8/2/6/ar125583891462876.jpg" height="320" alt="Monsterous Monstera Flower - JDS Consulting" width="281" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The large oval leaves are perforated with oblong holes and the plant produces a 9", dull, deep green, cone-like fruit which develops from a gigantic version of the philodendron&nbsp;like flower. The fruit is covered with hexagonal scales that dry out and separate as the fruit ripens very much like corn or maize, revealing the edible white pulp inside. It takes a little longer than a year to mature to an edible stage. Unripe fruit, if eaten causes mouth and throat irritation&nbsp;due to the&nbsp;high levels of oxalic acid. You may induce the fruit to ripen by picking it when the base has started to wrinkle and wrapping it&nbsp;in a bag for a few days. When unwrapped, the scales should have separated. <strong>Special note:</strong> This plant can be poisonous to pets due to the oxalic acid so if your cat likes to nibble on plants keep this one out of the house.</p> <p>One amazing characteristic of this plant is that the seedlings will grow in the direction of the darkest area&nbsp;of the yard&nbsp;until&nbsp;it encounters the base of a tree to attach to. Then&nbsp;it will climb towards the light which is generally high in the tree canopy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>HAPPY HALLOWEEN!</strong></p> <p><strong>Fill your yard with Snakes, Spiders, and Monsters to really get buyers attention with Tropical Curb Appeal!&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.akron-novelty.com/ProdImages/ToyRubberSnakeWholesale.jpg" height="275" alt="" width="274" style="float: right;" /></p> <ul> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> </ul> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; </strong></p> <ul> <p><strong>Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> </ul><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:59:17 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1290269/fill-your-yard-with-snakes-spiders-and-monsters-to-really-get-buyers-attention-with-tropical-curb-appeal- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1275996/is-going-turn-key-with-a-rental-unit-a-good-idea- <p><strong>Going turn key: Attracting vacation renters with your rental units.</strong>&nbsp;There are many factors that&nbsp;should be considered when determining to go turn key with your&nbsp;rental unit. As every property has it's own unique strengths and challenges it is best to consult with an experienced property manager before fully furnishing your rental unit as a vacation rental.&nbsp;This post examines from my personal experience some important issues to consider before adding everything from soup bowls to nutcrackers to your investment property.&nbsp;As&nbsp;a Real Estate Merchandiser working mainly&nbsp;in&nbsp;property management, I often see different types of rental units in various conditions. Everything from unfurnished long term&nbsp;to turn key short term vacation rentals&nbsp;and condotels. The former are&nbsp;typically a lot less time consuming and costly&nbsp;for the landlord and the latter can be a bit more involved both monetarily and effort wise but the&nbsp;return on your investment&nbsp;can be substantially&nbsp;faster if you know what you are doing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>In the investment Real Estate market the three golden rules of real estate apply: Location, Price, Condition.</strong> If you intend to make money from&nbsp;a turn key&nbsp;investment property the location should obviously be somewhere that people want to live and recreate&nbsp;and&nbsp;resort destinations can&nbsp;make great investment locales. However, there are pitfalls to buying in areas that are&nbsp;JUST resort destinations, mainly that the market value can be highly volatile in an investor only market. You also want a market that has a substantial permanent population that's not going to put their property on the market and move because of difficult financial times. Investors usually don't live in their investment properties and are the first to put their properties on the market in difficult times; the same with second home owners, if everyone is an investor&nbsp;or second home owner&nbsp;in a particular area, property values can plummet quickly&nbsp;when times get tough.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img title="Before" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/1/7/3/0/ar125504157803718.jpg" height="187" alt="Before " width="280" style="margin: 10px 0px;" /><img title="before" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/5/4/8/8/ar125504177688457.jpg" height="187" alt="before" width="280" style="margin: 10px;" /></strong></p> <p><em><strong>This property was initially offered as a partly furnished 1 bedroom condo for rent in Waikiki. </strong><strong>Looking to create a faster return on the investment the property owner considered going turn key. </strong><strong>In order to keep costs down it was suggested that the owner purchase furniture and accessories&nbsp;from hotel furniture resale&nbsp;outlets, and organizations like Good Will and Salvation Army. Utilizing personal items no longer needed&nbsp;at home can also save one money when turning a property into a desirable turn key rental. When outfitting a turn key unit, durability and condition are important. If you want to attract higher rents you need higher quality materials, knowing who your target market is is&nbsp;essential&nbsp;in determining what you need to buy and how much you you will need to spend. In the top photos the layout was awkward and the furniture too mismatched. By simply rearranging the furniture, adding some art, and a different sofa the room became more accomodating and comfortable; details potential renters notice and appreciate.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><img title="after merchandising" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/7/7/6/ar125504180967719.jpg" height="187" alt="after merchandising" width="280" style="margin: 10px;" /><img title="after merchandising" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/7/7/3/ar125504166437792.jpg" height="187" alt="after merchandising" width="280" style="margin: 10px;" /></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>JDS Consulting provides experienced property management and Real Estate consultants to help property owners determine what their target market is and how to allocate money effectively. Some properties no matter how they are furnished or well kept will command only so much rent. Spending money on expensive amenities that renters aren't looking to pay higher rents&nbsp;for can price you too high in the rental market&nbsp;and reduce your return dramatically.</strong> <strong>Merchandising the property is equally important, as well. Layout, functionality, and appropriate aesthetic helps create a hotel feel that vacation renters are looking for.&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Price is very important.</strong> You need to be able to put enough money down on the property to see an immediate return on your investment. In other words the rent you intend to receive should cover the mortgage and then some. Rental income can fluctuate right along with real estate prices and you need to be prepared to cover the mortgage in times when renters are scarce and hard to come by. Case in point&nbsp;right after &nbsp;9/11 tourism tanked in Hawaii creating a desperate shortage of potential renters and vacationers in high density investment markets like Waikiki. Many investors were leveraged to such a degree that any drop in rental income meant they couldn't pay the mortgage; this in turn created a sell off and consequently the Real Estate Market went to pot. <strong>Those investors that had enough equity to sweat out the lower rents were able to survive the down turn and were well positioned when the market&nbsp;eventually recovered.</strong> In consequence to the investor bailout,however, first time home buyers took advantage of the price drop and a larger percentage of permanent residents moved into Waikiki, stabilizing a once&nbsp;highly volatile market.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Condition will be a determining factor in&nbsp;how much rent you can get along with whether it's turn key,&nbsp;furnished, or vacant. </strong>In addition to location the condition of a rental property will help retrieve your initial investment faster if it is well maintained, furnished&nbsp;and clean especially&nbsp;in resort areas like Waikiki. There are several target markets to be found in a typical resort destination. The first and most lucrative is the vacationer. If your rental unit has an ocean view and is available to rent on a short term basis, a month or less at a time, you will mostly likely be able to command a considerable amount of rent from your tenants anywhere from $1000 to $20,000 a month or week depending on the number of bedrooms, amenities location, condition&nbsp;and view. Of course a $20,000 a week property will cost you several millions to buy but thats&nbsp;a great return on a 10 million dollar investment. Even if you have a $500,000 dollar property that's a couple blocks from the beach with no view to speak of you can make a decent return if it's priced right and is habitable, but the nicer it is the easier it is to rent and the more rent you can collect.</p> <p>&nbsp;<strong>Is going turn key with a rental unit a good idea?</strong></p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:12:01 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1275996/is-going-turn-key-with-a-rental-unit-a-good-idea- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1266743/join-us-for-the-pacific-islands-kava-festival-uh-m-noa-campus-saturday-october-3 <p><strong><em>'Awa</em> or <em>Kava</em></strong>(pronounced aahvaah)<strong>&nbsp;is a sacred plant in the Hawaiian and Polynesian cultures and has<img title="'Awa plant" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/6/0/9/ar125451475190676.jpg" height="153" alt="'Awa plant" width="183" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /> many uses from the&nbsp;spiritual to the medicinal.</strong> It is more commonly known today as an intoxicating beverage but it's uses are found in ceremonial traditions both&nbsp;religious and community based across Polynesia.&nbsp;&nbsp;'Awa has several medicinal uses&nbsp;including the&nbsp;treatment of:&nbsp;colds, headaches, respiratory diseases such as asthma, diabetes,&nbsp;rheumatism and it is commonly used as a&nbsp;muscle relaxant or sedative, often&nbsp;in conjunction with <strong><em>Lomi Lomi</em></strong>&nbsp;or Hawaiian massage.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>An `awa drink, good for migraines or&nbsp;pre&nbsp;menstrual discomfort&nbsp;may be prepared for personal use by chewing a few small pieces of clean root until a thumb size cud is formed.&nbsp;Once you have&nbsp;produced three of these cuds, mash them in a bowl with fresh water. Strain the liquid through&nbsp;cheese cloth to remove&nbsp;the fibrous&nbsp;elements and if you prefer add cane juice or honey as a sweeter as 'awa is the Hawaiian word for bitter.</strong> &nbsp;</p> <p>In the&nbsp;traditional Hawaiian preparation, the `awa&nbsp;may be&nbsp;mixed with water or with coconut milk and is sometimes warmed&nbsp;in a special calabash called a&nbsp;kanoa, over hot stones. After straining it is consumed&nbsp;when it has cooled.</p> <p>'Awa is often served as a beverage of thanksgiving and is gulped not sipped with some left in the cup that is poured onto the ground with a prayer. <strong>E hanai `awa a ikaika ka makani.</strong> <br />Offering `awa and prayers to one's ancestors&nbsp;strengthens their spirit presence so that they may be of help to&nbsp;you and your Ohana or&nbsp;family.</p> <p><strong><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/9/4/6/7/ar125451454676498.jpg" height="222" alt="" width="294" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Pacific Islands Kava Festival, UH Mānoa Campus, Saturday, October 3<br /></strong>The Kava Festival, also known in Hawai'i as the 'Awa Festival, features many aspects of 'awa as central to culture for Hawai'i and the Pacific Islands. The festival celebrates 'awa as an important and fundamental aspect of Hawaiian culture and a treasure for Hawai'i's people and the world.</p> <p>Live local music from Hawai'i's hottest music groups, educational and cultural booths, 'awa sampling, 'awa plants, 'apu making workshop, preparation demos, pa'i'ai/poi pounding, food booths, and Hawai'i's 'awa serving bars and cafes will also be serving the public. In addition, a traditional Hawaiian kapu 'awa ceremony will be performed honoring VIPs who have made contributions in culture, education and science. <br /><br /><a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&amp;c=bsims27I6lN%2BI3V2ETSvWjK7kCuPSbxG" title="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&amp;c=bsims27I6lN+I3V2ETSvWjK7kCuPSbxG">More information on the Awa Development Council website</a> <br /><strong><br />Saturday, October 3, 2009</strong><br />UH Manoa main campus, on McCarthy Mall<br /><a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&amp;c=JR6ADY87%2BJh2KKZFrUi03DK7kCuPSbxG" title="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&amp;c=JR6ADY87+Jh2KKZFrUi03DK7kCuPSbxG">Map of Campus Mall</a><br />9:00am-5:30pm<br /><strong>Free Admission</strong><br /><em>Parking on street or on campus</em></p> <p><em></em></p> <p><em></em></p> <p><em></em></p> <p><em> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </em></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:25:15 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1266743/join-us-for-the-pacific-islands-kava-festival-uh-m-noa-campus-saturday-october-3 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1263293/i-m-an-hawaiian-ask-me-anything-about-hawaii- <p>Inspired by Active Rain Staffer <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1251886/i-m-an-activerain-staff-member-ask-me-anything" target="_blank">Mike Judge's blog post</a>&nbsp;challenge to ask him anything, I thought I would do the same;&nbsp;as my blog is titled&nbsp;Questions for Kimo,&nbsp;I&nbsp;think it&nbsp;would&nbsp;be apropos. So while I patiently&nbsp;wait for Mike to answer my Active Rain question posed to him I thought I would field a few from those who might be interested in learning more about my beautiful home, Hawaii.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Sunset on the Gold Coast, Diamond Head Oahu-Photo by Kimo" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/7/9/3/ar125434103439764.jpg" height="400" alt="Sunset on the Gold Coast, Diamond Head Oahu-Photo by Kimo" width="600" /></p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p><strong>I'm an Hawaiian Ask Me Anything About Hawaii!&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:15:50 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1263293/i-m-an-hawaiian-ask-me-anything-about-hawaii- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1259799/inspirational-books-for-designer-s-summer-s-over-but-the-book-list-continues- <p>Those of you who don't live as close to the equator as I do might&nbsp;be lamenting the end of summer's balmy&nbsp;days and the grasp of fall's chilly nights. Nothing motivates the mind quite like a good read when curling up in the snugness of ones boudoir preparing for that long winter's nap. Even in Hawaii the rainy days of winter can dampen the spirit but here is a book list to help keep the circulation flowing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="Book Cover- Design Collections with Limited Colors" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/2/2/8/2/ar125416772428225.jpg" height="200" alt="Book Cover- Design Collections with Limited Colors" width="200" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For Home Stagers and Real Estate Merchandisers color selection is Primo and Pantone is the science behind color forecasting and selection; this book offers a glimpse at the power of merchandising in a paint can and how a little color can go a long way. Although much of the book surrounds print and marketing&nbsp;design the same principles can be applied to interiors.</p> <p><strong>Design Collection with Limited Colors </strong></p> <p>by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?%5Fencoding=UTF8&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;search-type=ss&amp;index=books&amp;field-author=Ken%20Ozawa">Ken Ozawa</a> &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="Book Cover-Green Design: Creative Sustainable Designs for the Twenty-First Century" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/8/3/3/ar125416794833876.jpg" height="200" alt="Book Cover-Green Design: Creative Sustainable Designs for the Twenty-First Century" width="200" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When it comes to design trends in home staging, "Green" design is at the forefront of fashion but what does that mean exactly. This book offers designers an introduction to what it means to be Green and how to achieve it in your design work. Whether it's identifying and&nbsp;incorporating&nbsp;renewable resource products or effectively recycling the "old" into "new" this inspirational work&nbsp;makes being green a little easier.</p> <p><strong> <p>Green Design: Creative Sustainable Designs for the Twenty-First Century</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </strong>by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marcus-Fairs/e/B001SQAC30/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Marcus Fairs</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556438362/dexigner-20#"></a> &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="Book Cover-Zaha Hadid: Complete Works " src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/5/4/7/5/ar125416811357454.jpg" height="200" alt="Book Cover-Zaha Hadid: Complete Works " width="200" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;The future will be designed by a woman. Zaha Hadid is so ahead of her time she blows Star Trek&nbsp;off the stellar map with her AMAZING architectural work. In a field dominated by men Ms. Hadid was the first woman&nbsp;ever to receive the prestigious Pritzker Prize for Architecture in 2004, which if you didn't know is the the equivalent of an Oscar and Nobel Prize rolled into one. Born in 1950 in&nbsp;Baghdad, Iraq Ms. Hadid received a degree in mathematics before attending the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_Association_School_of_Architecture" title="Architectural Association School of Architecture">Architectural Association School of Architecture</a>&nbsp;in London. With astounding projects being produced all over the world&nbsp;Ms.Hadid will take your breath away as she&nbsp;transports you into the future with her design work. &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Zaha Hadid - Complete Works</strong></p> <p>by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?%5Fencoding=UTF8&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;search-type=ss&amp;index=books&amp;field-author=Zaha%20Hadid">Zaha Hadid</a> &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="Interior by Zaha Hadid" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/1/0/3/ar12541697930184.jpg" height="350" alt="Interior by Zaha Hadid" width="233" style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Zaha Hadid Website:&nbsp; <a href="http://www.zaha-hadid.com/">http://www.zaha-hadid.com/</a>&nbsp;</p> <p>Zaha Hadid Blog:&nbsp;http<a href="http://www.zahahadidblog.com/">://www.zahahadidblog.com/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Please visit other related posts by Kimo Stowell</strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1092144/the-devil-wears-prada-and-makes-one-hell-of-a-real-estate-merchandiser- " target="_blank">The Devil Wears Prada and Makes One Hell of a Real Estate Merchandiser &nbsp; </a>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1036127/mod-tips-for-home-stagers-modern-news-for-modern-styles- " target="_blank">Mod Tips for Home Stagers</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:34:06 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1259799/inspirational-books-for-designer-s-summer-s-over-but-the-book-list-continues- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1255971/before-zoloft-there-was-ho-oponopono-hawaii-s-practice-of-healing-mental-illness- <p><strong><img title="Hawaiian Kahuna photo by Kimo Stowell" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/7/9/1/3/ar125392212531977.jpg" height="423" alt="Hawaiian Kahuna photo by Kimo Stowell" width="294" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Before western contact mental illness was virtually unheard of in Hawaii.</strong>&nbsp;There are several accounting factors for this including: a culture that was very open, accepting, loving, nurturing, and more apt to respect ability and natural talent over discriminating views toward gender or&nbsp;sexual preference. However,&nbsp;the primary reason for the astounding mental stability of the native Hawaiian population&nbsp;is the tradition known as <strong><em>Ho'oponopono</em></strong>; the literal translation of which means "to make right".</p> <p>In ancient Hawaii there were three distinct classes: the <em><strong>Ali'i</strong> </em>or chiefly class of nobles and royalty; the <em><strong>Maka'ainana</strong></em>, the commoners; and the<em> <strong>Kahuna</strong> </em>which was a broad selection of professional specialists that included master crafts-persons, healers, herbalists, hula dancers, agricultural geneticists,&nbsp;net makers, canoe builders, architects, interior designers, doctors, genealogists, navigators, soothsayers, priests, psychiatrists, kapa cloth makers, feather workers,&nbsp;and the list goes on. Over many centuries&nbsp;a multitude of&nbsp;specialized professions developed as the needs of the community dictated. These highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals formed hui's or guilds so that they could&nbsp;transfer their knowledge and skills to only the most qualified students who would, in some cases,&nbsp;be hand picked during childhood.</p> <p><strong>In ancient Hawaiian society children were closely observed virtually from birth by the Kahuna&nbsp;and their interests and abilities were duly noted. Those children, who displayed particular talent or precosiousness&nbsp;in any of the various&nbsp;diciplines would be introduced to rudimentary instruction. </strong>If the child excelled he would be enrolled&nbsp;into that particular field and would spend many years learning the many aspects involved in his or her&nbsp;trade. Only the most skilled and accomplished students would graduate and receive a master accreditation. These master Kahuna were the ones that were bestowed with the <strong><em>Huna</em></strong> or secret of the trade which allowed them their miraculous abilities. Missionary ignorance and influence&nbsp;resulted in laws being passed that&nbsp;made some&nbsp;Kahuna practices illegal and it wasn't until the mid 1970's that laws condemning the Kahuna&nbsp;were lifted completely&nbsp;from the law books.</p> <p><strong>One such Kahuna designation was the <em>Kahuna La'au Lapa'au</em> or the psychiatric and homeopathic&nbsp;specialist. The knowledge of the <em>Kahuna La'au Lapa'au </em>embodied the spiritual, as well as, a well source of information garnered from&nbsp;a millennium of observation.</strong> Hawaiian psychiatric&nbsp;understanding&nbsp;was very similar to <strong>Carl Jung's </strong>but superior in&nbsp;many ways due to the extensive "clinical" research passed down over the centuries and the virtual absence of mental diseases in Hawaii. Ho'oponopono or the process of "making things right" is an astounding psychiatric marvel that relies on a profound community based interaction with the afflicted and not drugs as is popular today. <strong>The root of mental illness was&nbsp;addressed as&nbsp;a community issue and required the full participation of the patients family and community. It required the entire community's participation in what might be considered an intervention of intense scrutiny that necessitated every-ones personal accountability, not only the patient's. The intervention&nbsp;would last some times for days at a time&nbsp;were no one could leave until the disease was dispelled;&nbsp;<em>Aloha</em> was the foundation for&nbsp;this healing.</strong></p> <p><strong>To find out more about this fascinating aspect of Hawaiian homeopathic healing please join us -</strong></p> <p><strong>Ho&lsquo;oponopono Workshop&nbsp; </strong></p> <p>Presented by: Keala o Kalani*</p> <p><strong>Date:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, September 27, 2009</strong></p> <p><strong>Location:&nbsp; McKinley High School Library </strong></p> <p><strong>Time:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 9 am to 4 pm (registration at 8:45 am). </strong></p> <p>Contact:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ramsay Taum, <a href="mailto:ramsay@sustainhawaii.org" title="mailto:ramsay@sustainhawaii.org" target="_blank">ramsay@sustainhawaii.org </a>; 808.394.5557</p> <p>This Ho'oponopono workshop will feature the Hawaiian practice of healing, balance and stress release as it was updated and taught by Kahuna La'au Lapa'au Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona.&nbsp; This is presented as a community service which means there are no fees.*</p> <p>Please feel free to pass this on to those you think might enjoy or benefit from this special gift passed on by Auntie Morrnah.</p> <p>This workshop is not affiliated with McKinley High School so please direct any inquiries directly to Kumu Ramsay Taum via email or phone, 394-5557. Space is limited.&nbsp; The room tends be very cool so a sweater or light jacket is recommended.</p> <p>O ka maluhia no me oe. E malama pono.</p> <p>Ramsay Taum</p> <p>e-mail: <a href="mailto:ramsay@sustainhawaii.org" title="mailto:ramsay@sustainhawaii.org" target="_blank">ramsay@sustainhawaii.org</a></p> <p>* There is no cost for this seminar; donations are welcomed.</p> <p>Keala o Kalani is a 501(c)(3) Hawaii private non-profit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<strong>Before Zoloft there was Ho'oponopono: Hawaii's Practice of Healing Mental Illness!</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; </strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; </strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:08:06 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1255971/before-zoloft-there-was-ho-oponopono-hawaii-s-practice-of-healing-mental-illness- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1252716/a-day-of-feng-shui-without-the-furniture-being-rearranged- <p><strong>A Day of Feng Shui - without the furniture being rearranged!<img title="Man Mo Temple Hong Kong-Photo by Kimo Stowell" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/9/2/0/4/ar125374074340296.jpg" height="350" alt="Man Mo Temple Hong Kong-Photo by Kimo Stowell" width="233" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Feng Shui, to many Westerners, is as unknown as the place of it's origin; China if you didn't know. More importantly it is an aspect of a&nbsp;philosophy on living a happy fulfilling existence regardless of circumstance. You may understand Feng Shui to be something akin to Home Staging or interior decorating&nbsp;but it is much much more than just that. </strong><strong>In China,&nbsp;Feng Shui is a component of&nbsp;a major religion <em>Taoism</em>&nbsp;but you need not be religious to appreciate and or practice it's tenants but it is a spiritual path, none the less. In fact it's principles can be successfully incorporated into all religions that believe&nbsp;a universal&nbsp;energy or spirit&nbsp;is in and apart of all things. Taoism or the Tao means "The Path" and it's adherents recognize that how we think of the world creates our world, that the less resistance you have to change the happier you will be. For those of you who live&nbsp;on Oahu and are interested in finding out more about this uplifting and simplifying philosophy please join Alice Inoue in an in-depth introduction to Feng Shui-</strong></p> <p><strong>Feng Shui with Alice Inoue</strong>&nbsp;This is an all-day workshop designed to give you the tools you need to bring multiple levels of your life into balance. Using the&nbsp;core principles of Feng Shui, Alice will share information on how to recreate your life by bringing the energies around you and within you into balance.With all that is going on in our lives and in the world today, it is more important than ever to center ourselves. In this workshop, we will take Feng Shui to new levels:</p> <p>&nbsp;<br />� <strong>BODY</strong>: You are never separate from your environment. No matter where you live or work, your environment has a great impact on how you feel and on your energy output. Learn easy-to-implement Feng Shui tools to create an environment that supports you rather than drains you.</p> <p><br />� <strong>MIND</strong>: Our minds are constantly "on," with over 60,000 thoughts a day. Interestingly, 95 percent of our<br />thoughts are the same as those from the day before, and 80 percent of these habitual thoughts are negative. Learn how our surroundings impact our thoughts, and how we can shift ourselves toward greater control of our thoughts. Find out where our fears come from and how we can take charge and quiet the inner critic.</p> <p>&nbsp;<br />�<strong> HEART</strong>: Our hearts have an electromagnetic field 5,000 times more powerful than our brain, yet over<br />time we shut down our hearts, losing the most powerful energetic influencer of all. Learn heart-opening tips to implement in your environment, as well as how to gently reconnect to your inner voice, which holds the answers to your journey.</p> <p>&nbsp;<br />� <strong>SPIRIT</strong>: When life experiences are challenging, we &nbsp;feel separated from our Spirit, the all-knowing part of our Selves. If we live our lives solely from our mental and emotional bodies and fail to understand the spiritual perspective of our life's journey, life is more difficult to navigate. Open up to a new understanding of your Spirit and how it can guide you.&nbsp;Join Alice for a day of awakenings and magic, as she offers multiple keys to shift your life from deep within. The day will be a mixture of lectures, slides, discussion, meditations and exercises. Let's Feng Shui&nbsp;our lives on all levels together! &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sunday, Sep 27th<br />10 am to 5 pm<br />Macy 's Special Events Room<br />Ala Moana Center<br />$125 advance | $140 at the door</strong></p> <p><strong>Visit <a href="http://www.AliceInoue.com">http://www.AliceInoue.com</a></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:40:59 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1252716/a-day-of-feng-shui-without-the-furniture-being-rearranged- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1249200/staging-a-bedroom-virtually-speaking-a-design-and-merchandising-perspective- <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Whether designing a property for sale or for personal purposes, the essential design process is the same.&nbsp; </strong>Understanding the architectural interplay with decor will help create a room that leaves a positive impression on the potential buyer or design client instead of leaving them befuddled or worse,&nbsp;disappointed.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="JDS Consulting: Virtual Bedroom Remodel Before Pic" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/7/0/9/ar125356735990738.jpg" height="410" alt="JDS Consulting: Virtual Bedroom Remodel Before Pic" width="614" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><strong>In this this virtual bedroom design we were merchandising the property to function as a second home and or rental.</strong> With that in mind the room was to be used by the teenage daughter of our clients when used as a second home and a second bedroom in case of a rental. <strong>We were designing for both personal taste and general merchandising at the same time which means finding the intersecting elements of what might otherwise be a contradictory trajectory, or in other words a project going no where.</strong></p> <p><strong>The daughters favorite color is blue, so we immediately incorporated a soft denim which would compliment the khaki colored buildings dominating the view from the room. Since the view is a major focal point the windows design is very noticeable, especially the rather odd looking crank windows on the left.</strong> Inorder to minimilize the&nbsp;look of the crank windows we chose a modern rectangular motif for the space which was repeated throughout the bedroom and apartment.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="JDS Consulting of Hawaii: virtual design bedroom" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/4/4/5/6/ar125356669865449.jpg" height="410" alt="JDS Consulting of Hawaii: virtual design bedroom" width="614" /></p> <p><strong>We selected gender neutral accents so that the room would appeal to as many persons as possible considering the parameters of the project, with the photo art of bamboo&nbsp;complimenting the vertical architectural elements&nbsp;both indoors and out.</strong> The plumeria blossom pillow could easily be removed to&nbsp;neutralize the&nbsp;personal preferences even further.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="JDS Consulting: Accessories Guide" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/1/0/4/9/ar125356791694012.jpg" height="566" alt="JDS Consulting: Accessories Guide" width="328" style="float: left;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="JDS Consulting Logo" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/1/7/4/0/ar125356823704718.jpg" height="216" alt="JDS Consulting Logo" width="216" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Visit our website:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com">www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;808.344.1264</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Staging a Bedroom, Virtually Speaking: a Design and Merchandising Perspective.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Addtional posts on the subject:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1180193/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-breakfast-in-bed-at-tiffany-s-" target="_blank">Master Suite Make Over Part One</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1186761/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-part-ii-the-master-bath" target="_blank">Master Suite Make Over Part Two</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.Staged.Homestead.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:43:56 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1249200/staging-a-bedroom-virtually-speaking-a-design-and-merchandising-perspective- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1238907/celebrating-hawaii-s-famous-chiefs-from-ancient-times- <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Celebrating Hawaii's Famous Chiefs from ancient times:</strong></p> <p>Hawaii has many myths and legends&nbsp;surrounding it's ancient rulers or <em><strong>Ali'i</strong>. </em>One such famous Chief was <strong>Umi</strong> the peasant King of Hawai'i. Born to the unwed union of a commoner of exceptional beauty&nbsp;and the legendary King <strong>Liloa</strong> of the big island, Umi rose from obscurity to become one of the most renowned kings in Hawaiian history. Great of stature and skilled in the martial arts Umi was said to have introduced himself to his Royal father, Liloa by jumping over the palace walls, tossing aside the spears of the palace guards and landing in his fathers lap anouncing that he was his fathers long lost child.&nbsp;Such breach of protocol would have placed Umi in mortal danger had not the King recognized the Malo(loin cloth)&nbsp;and ivory and shell necklace he had left with Umi's mother many years prior; confirming his royal parentage. Umi would later raise a rebellion against his cruel and despotic half brother with the aid of the priesthood and secure his claim as Mo'i(King)&nbsp;ali'i nui o&nbsp;Hawai'i. Below is an article featuring&nbsp;Umi as the&nbsp;honoree&nbsp;for this years <strong>Aloha Na Ali'i Banquet</strong> at the Hawaii convention center.</p> <p>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong><img src="http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs082/1102184341957/img/367.jpg?a=1102696457133" height="181" alt="" width="144" style="float: left;" />Native Hawaiian Chief honored at annual Aloha Na Alii Banquet</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;<br />HONOLULU, HI - The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) and Bishop Museum honored Umi a Liloa during the 8th Annual Native Hawaiian Convention's Aloha Na Alii Banquet held on August 26, 2009 at the Hawai'i Convention Center.<br />&nbsp;<br />The elegant Banquet is an extraordinary opportunity to be inspired and reminded of the strength and vision of Hawaiian leaders.&nbsp; Past honorees at the Banquet include King David Kalakaua, Queen Kapiolani, King William Charles Lunalilo, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, and Princess Ruth "Luka" Keelikolani. <br />&nbsp;<br />"The banquet evening held every year at the CNHA Convention creates an opportunity to connect and re-connect with our stories, our history, our ancestors, our ali`i," said Lilia Kapuniai, CNHA Community Development Manger. "We truly mahalo Bishop Museum and Nā Pualei o Likolehua for a partnership that continues to inspire every year.&nbsp; The talent at the museum, and in our halau and practitioner community is awesome."<br />&nbsp;<br />Umi a Liloa, commonly known as Umi, ruled as the 14th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii. Umi is an icon to many with his accomplishment of uniting all districts of Hawaii through wars. An excellent warrior, Umi was of lowly birth on his maternal side, but rose to leadership through his victories in battle.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<img src="http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs082/1102184341957/img/368.jpg?a=1102696457133" height="197" alt="" width="144" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /><br />The Aloha Na Alii Banquet featured Umi through a special exhibit that included exquisite pieces he possessed, and was followed by a dinner program, that included a mookuauhau (genealogy chant) by Mehanaokala Hind, a direct descendant of Umi and member of Halau Nā Pualei o Likolehua. The banquet agenda also included a memorable ola na moolelo (living stories) presented by Bishop Musuem's Moses Goods and Loko Maika'i Lipscomb. <br />&nbsp;<br />To learn more about the Aloha Na Alii Banquet and the Annual Native Hawaiian Convention, contact CNHA at (808) 596-8155 or e-mail info@hawaiiancouncil.org. <br />&nbsp;<br />CNHA is a Hawaii-based nonprofit serving a network of more than 100 organizations statewide and nationally. CNHA's mission is to enhance the well-being of Hawaii through the cultural, economic, and community development of Native Hawaiians. For more information about CNHA please contact us at 808.596.8155, toll-free at 1.800.709.2642, by e-mail at <a href="mailto:info@hawaiiancouncil.org">info@hawaiiancouncil.org</a>, or visit our website at <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102696457133&amp;s=3499&amp;e=001Fgn6oxOF5TliG4CUAxrliW1Df_a77BAM5ZP0-aiv1S-ne1ji0XYsNvEozcdjeEBx3OWdvPHmEL4I8r0f8zyqhUhXLtc9UVsrTVPHIilC-S3mQb3nDjobcO9Ia20EQSnq" target="_blank">www.hawaiiancouncil.org</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design. Servicing Honolulu and Honolulu County, Oahu Hawaii.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:51:41 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1238907/celebrating-hawaii-s-famous-chiefs-from-ancient-times- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1220831/master-bath-virtual-remodel-pearl-ridge-hawaii <p><strong>Master Bath Virtual Remodel - Pearl Ridge Hawaii - JDS Consulting Hawaii Decor Design&nbsp;and Home Staging</strong></p> <p>Many of our clients at <strong>JDS Consulting</strong> are simply looking for a little inspiration in their design projects. We point our clients in <img title="JDS Consulting Bath Before" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/2/0/7/5/ar125193117757029.jpg" height="321" alt="JDS Consulting Bath Before" width="216" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" />the right direction by providing suggested designs, materials, and visuals&nbsp;so they have a better understanding of&nbsp;how to achieve their renovation dreams.</p> <p><strong>One common concern amongst many of our clients,&nbsp;is that there are just too many choices to choose from, which can paralyze even the bravest of do-it-yourselfers.</strong> No one wants to make the wrong choice when it comes to renovations, as mistakes can be costly and time consuming. In order to alleviate that fear and provide a clear well defined goal for our clients we provide a comprehensive design strategy that addresses what materials and accessories&nbsp;to use, where to find them and what the project might look like in completion.</p> <p>In this virtual makeover, our client a recent retiree,&nbsp;wanted a modern Japanese design aesthetic for their master suite renovation. They also had specific concerns regarding the height of the vanity in the bath and storage and organizational&nbsp;concerns as well. <strong>As Real Estate Merchandising specialists we approach every design with resale in mind, however, our client had no intention of selling the property and wanted certain design elements modified to&nbsp;her specific needs and personal taste that might otherwise be counter-intuitive to a Merchandiser.</strong></p> <p><img title="JDS Consulting Bath After" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/3/1/0/2/ar125185844120136.jpg" height="600" alt="JDS Consulting Bath After" width="400" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The primary concern for our client in this project was the height of the vanity. After a recent medical procedure coupled with her diminutive size, our client needed the vanity to be lower than the standard 30"-32" height of a typical vanity console.</strong>In order to avoid the cost of custom cabinetry we decided on a wall mounted single wading pool sink &amp; vanity which could be&nbsp;hung at&nbsp;a more convenient height. She also wanted drawers instead of cabinets and because of her medical condition she would be unable to bend and reach the lowest drawers which the mounted vanity design dispensed with. The width of vanity was also reduced to provide more square footage in the vanity area and we offered a choice of coral stone or golden onyx&nbsp;for the vanity top. We also&nbsp;suggested using coral stone or travertine for the floor and backslash which would extend to the floor. Our client stressed simplicity and easy maintenance with the the fixture&nbsp;selection&nbsp;so we choose a simple polished or&nbsp;brushed nickel look from Moen.</p> <p>The golden wood tone selected for the teak vanity cabinets, shoji closet doors, and latern style light fixtures was chosen to compliment her many Asian&nbsp; antiques and teak furniture found in the rest of the home.</p> <p>A sisal area rug and stripped ottoman indicative of Japanese kimono designs would round off the accessories for the bath.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting.&nbsp;Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:03:08 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1220831/master-bath-virtual-remodel-pearl-ridge-hawaii http://activerain.com/blogsview/1200959/50-years-of-hawaii-statehood-fact-or-fiction- <table border="0" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK19" width="607" style="width: 607px; height: 2869px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><strong>50 years of Hawaii Statehood: Fact or Fiction? </strong></p> <p><strong>&nbsp;A&nbsp;history of pervasive racism in US politics...</strong></p> <p><strong>There is a lot of debate going on these days concerning the legitimacy of the Statehood of Hawaii and whether native Hawaiians&nbsp;should have a say in determining Hawaii's future and the outcome of former Kingdom lands confiscated after the overthrow. There has been a lot of disinformation disseminated, as well as, propaganda concerning the legitimacy of the Republic of Hawaii followed by&nbsp;the Territory of Hawaii and subsequent US Statehood. &nbsp;</strong></p> <p>As Hawaii commemorates 50 years of US Statehood, there are many questions being raised as to the legality of not only the overthrow of the Kingdom in 1893 but the participation of the US Navy in conspiracy with American Business interests to undermine&nbsp;a legitimate sovereign nation and&nbsp;the deliberate disenfranchisement of voting rights&nbsp;from native Hawaiians and&nbsp;citizens of Asian descent. <strong>The US Congress formally apologized for it's illegal and conspiratorial participation in the overthrow in 1993 which ignited a desire for&nbsp;Kingdom lands or ceded lands&nbsp;confiscated during the overthrow&nbsp;to be returned to Native Hawaiian control</strong>. This claim to ceded lands by the native community&nbsp;has sparked several legal battles including a US Supreme Court Ruling this past spring which raised the issue of perfect title and whether the US State of Hawaii&nbsp;has legitimate legal claim to ceded lands. &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Below&nbsp;are three recent articles&nbsp;concerning Hawaiian Sovereignty that are fairly comprehensive in presenting the&nbsp;scope of the issue including local perspectives. It is important to note that&nbsp;there is a distinction between the Akaka Bill which seeks to give Federal Recognition to Native Hawaiians in the same manner as Native Americans and the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement which basically seeks the restoration of the sovereign government of Hawaii.&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <table bgcolor="#996600" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="1">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Friday, August 7, 2009 <br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Obama backs Native Hawaiian self-governance bill<br /></strong>&nbsp;<br />President's endorsement clear during Senate hearing<br />&nbsp;<br />By John Yaukey<br />Advertiser Washington Bureau <br />&nbsp;<br />WASHINGTON - The Obama administration came through on its promise to support Native Hawaiian self-governance yesterday with a powerful statement to a Senate panel, backing a bill that would give Native Hawaiians the same rights as Native Americans and Alaskans.<br />&nbsp;<br />The full-throated endorsement came from Sam Hirsch, deputy associate attorney general, to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.<br />&nbsp;<br />The panel was weighing nine-year-old legislation, authored by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, that would set up a process for Native Hawaiian autonomy within the state and federal systems.<br />&nbsp;<br />"The Department of Justice strongly supports the core policy goals of this bill, and I am pleased to testify on this historic legislation," Hirsch said.<br />&nbsp;<br />He rejected arguments that political recognition of Native Hawaiians would constitute a "race-based" distinction. He said that the federal government had an obligation to establish a government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian people, who have been living in political limbo for more than a century following the overthrow of their kingdom.<br />&nbsp;<br />"The general history of the Native Hawaiian people bears significant similarities to the history of Indian tribes," he said. "The United States has recognized the Kingdom of Hawai'i as a sovereign power and dealt with it as such through much of the 19th century."<br />&nbsp;<br />This was a stark turnaround from the Bush administration. In 2006, the Justice Department under President George W. Bush argued that the so-called Akaka bill would "divide people by their race."<br />&nbsp;<br />In a June House hearing on the Akaka legislation, a Bush appointee suggested that Native Hawaiian recognition could lead to some form of mild sedition.<br />&nbsp;<br />"It is clear that many ethnic Hawaiians will not regard the new government as deriving its powers solely from federal delegation," said Gail Heroit, a Republican appointee on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. "Rather, they will argue that it derives its power from their own inherent sovereignty and is thus not subject to any of the limitations on power found in the U.S. Constitution."<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>An issue of parity<br /></strong>&nbsp;<br />Yesterday, Akaka sought to bring the debate back to its central pivot point: that Native Hawaiians are no different from any other indigenous people who have political contracts with the federal government.<br />&nbsp;<br />"The legislation before us today provides parity," he said. "It enables Hawai'i's indigenous people to establish a government-to-government relationship with the United States. The process is consistent with Constitution, federal and state law."<br />&nbsp;<br />Eventually, it could give Native Hawaiians greater control over their highly valuable ancestral lands.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Akaka legislation would develop a process for reorganizing a Native Hawaiian government.<br />&nbsp;<br />If it passes in the Indian Affairs Committee, as expected, then the full Senate would take it up. Passage in the heavily Democratic House is virtually assured.<br />&nbsp;<br />But even if the Akaka bill passes, it remains potentially vulnerable to court challenges. Civil rights legislation is typically challenged for years after passage.<br />&nbsp;<br />In 2000, the Supreme Court shot down special privileges Native Hawaiians enjoyed in special elections for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, threatening a vast network of Native Hawaiian political and social structures.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>9 years of trying<br /></strong>&nbsp;<br />Yesterday's Senate hearing marks the seventh time Congress has taken up the legislation since it was first introduced in 2000.<br />&nbsp;<br />The bill has already passed the House twice but has never been able to clear the Senate, where legislation can sometimes require 60 of 100 votes to pass and a single senator can place a hold on a bill.<br />&nbsp;<br />Akaka said he expects he'll need 60 votes to pass the bill.<br />&nbsp;<br />At stake - in addition to the political future of the Native Hawaiian people - ultimately is control over some 1.8 million acres of land that many Native Hawaiians believe was taken from them illegally in the annexation of Hawai'i in 1898.<br />&nbsp;<br />Passage of the Akaka bill would provide for negotiations on the disposition of Native Hawaiian land, natural resources and other assets. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br />&nbsp;</p> <table bgcolor="#996600" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="1">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sunday, August 9, 2009 <br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Pride in Hawaiian culture reawakened<br /></strong>&nbsp;<br />Seeds of sovereignty movement sown during 1960s-70s renaissance<br />&nbsp;<br />By Michael Tsai<br />The Honolulu Advertiser<br />&nbsp;<br />For five electric days in 1993, tens of thousands of Native Hawaiians and others sympathetic to Native Hawaiian causes marked the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy with a series of marches, demonstrations and historical re-enactments culminating in a dramatic march from Aloha Tower to 'Iolani Palace, a journey meant to symbolize the rebirth of Hawaiian culture.<img title="Advertiser Library Photo" src="http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs082/1102184341957/img/344.jpg?a=1102667461630" height="189" alt="Advertiser Library Photo" width="298" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" /><br />&nbsp;<br />The commemoration, organized by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in cooperation with an array of Native Hawaiian organizations from around the state, was one of the largest gatherings of Native Hawaiians in modern times, stunning not just for its implications heading forward, but for what it represented given the experience of Native Hawaiians since statehood in 1959.<br />&nbsp;<br />Participants in the events rallied under the motto "Onipa'a," the Hawaiian word for "steadfast" famously invoked by Queen Lili'uokalani a hundred years earlier as she abdicated her throne to U.S. forces working in concert with American businessmen.<br />&nbsp;<br />"Hold yourselves up high and be proud," the queen told her subjects. "For each and every one of you has much to be proud of in yourselves and in your people. Hold fast to that pride and love you have for your heritage and your country. Yes, your country. For you nation, onipa'a. Hold fast."<br />&nbsp;<br />By the time of the statehood plebiscite in 1959, pride in country had withered to what John Whitehead, retired University of Alaska history professor and author of "Completing the Union: Alaska, Hawaii and the Battles for Statehood," characterized as "nostalgia for what had been lost with no real belief that it could be restored."<br />&nbsp;<br />Perhaps worse, pride in Hawaiian identity had been undermined by social, political and educational systems calibrated to de-emphasize, even suppress, ethnic identity in favor of full Americanization.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Scared of questions</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, former director of the University of Hawai'i's Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, was still a child when Hawai'i joined the union. She said the first decade of statehood did nothing to undo the years of disempowerment and shame many Native Hawaiians felt.<br />&nbsp;<br />"I graduated from Kamehameha High School in 1970, and we never even heard of the 1893 overthrow," she said. "In school, we learned that one minute we were a kingdom with ali'i and the next minute we were Americans. It was only after I graduated that I read ("Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen"). Then I asked my mother what had happened in 1893, and in 1959.<br />&nbsp;<br />"She told me not to ask such questions because the Americans would put me in jail," she said. "She was terrified of my political awakening. And I can only imagine that Hawaiians her age were equally scared about their children's questions."<br />&nbsp;<br />Kame'eleihiwa's mother recounted the infamous Massie case, in which Grace Fortescue, son-in-law Thomas Massie and two accomplices spent an hour with Gov. Lawrence Judd as punishment for kidnapping and murdering a Hawaiian man accused of raping Massie's wife Thalia. (A report by the Pinkerton Detective Agency later concluded that Thalia Massie had not been raped; charges against other defendants in the rape case were eventually dropped.)<br />&nbsp;<br />But while Kame'eleihiwa understood her mother's fears, they did not deter her investigations of Hawaiian history. Indeed, for a generation of Hawaiians coming of age in the tumultuous 1960s and '70s, a cultural and political awakening was just brewing.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Renaissance ignited</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />The first Hawaiian Renaissance occurred during the reign of King David Kalakaua, who spearheaded a revival of hula, fresh examination of Hawaiian myth and legend, and a renewed interest in Hawaiian music.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1960s and '70s, which was ignited, appropriately, with the establishment of the Merrie Monarch Festival, was far broader in scope, encompassing not just renewed interest and study of Hawaiian music, language (both Hawaiian and Hawaiian creole/pidgin), hula, agriculture and navigation, but also political activism on the part of young Native Hawaiians. For Kihei Soli Niheu, whose efforts on behalf of Kalama Valley farmers helped lead to a series of highly influential land battles in the 1970s and 1980s, the climate of political discontent percolating on college campuses across the United States in the 1960s provided a viable medium for personal political growth.<br />&nbsp;<br />Niheu attended San Jose State College, where he befriended the school's Black Student Union and was exposed to the revolutionary ideas of sociology professor Harry Edwards, who is best known for inspiring Tommie Smith's and John Carlos' famous Black Power protest at the 1968 Olympic Games.<br />&nbsp;<br />In those formative years, Niheu read Che Guevara, Mao Tse-tung and Karl Marx, followed the Angela Davis trial and participated in protests against American involvement in Vietnam.<br />&nbsp;<br />Like other Native Hawaiians of his generation, Niheu said he knew little about his own history.<br />&nbsp;<br />"I didn't learn much about Hawaiian history at Kamehameha," he said. "After eighth grade, they cut out Hawaiian language. They wouldn't teach us Hawaiian because they said we had to become American. I remember thinking, 'What? Who the hell are they?' "<br />&nbsp;<br />Yet, as Niheu witnessed firsthand the struggles that African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, women and other groups undertook to assert their civil rights on the Mainland, Niheu said he couldn't help but reflect on the state of Native Hawaiians like himself.<br />&nbsp;<br />In 1970, Niheu returned to Hawai'i and quickly got involved in antiwar protests on the University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Activists organize</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />Soon after, UH ethnic studies professor Larry Kamakawiwo'ole tapped Niheu for a talk-story session with fellow activists Pete Thompson, Kalani Ohelo and Kehau Lee.<br />&nbsp;<br />The talk revolved around the worsening situation in Kalama Valley, where some 150 families - most of them Native Hawaiian, many of them previously displaced by development projects - were being evicted to make way for further Hawai'i Kai development.<br />&nbsp;<br />The group resolved to do what it could to support the displaced families, a decision that would prove a milestone moment in the evolution of modern Native Hawaiian activism.<br />&nbsp;<br />Despite a yearlong "occupation," the arrest of dozens of activists and subsequent protracted legal battle, the movement could not ultimately prevent the displacement of the farmers and the development of the land.<br />&nbsp;<br />It did, however, provide the impetus for the formation of several Native Hawaiian-led community groups that would wage similar battles across the state. It also inspired an emerging generation of Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian activists to resist the rapid development of traditionally rural and agricultural lands brought about by the state's increased economic reliance on tourism and the island's fast-growing population, and to begin to build a case for independence from the United States.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table bgcolor="#996600" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td height="1">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Monday, August 10, 2009&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Some Hawaiian activists reject statehood, saying it's a 'crime'<br /></strong>&nbsp;<br />Activists point to illegal acts, starting with the overthrow<br />&nbsp;<br />By Michael Tsai<br />Advertiser Staff Writer <br />&nbsp;<br />In 1959, what opposition there was to Hawai'i statehood was based on a variety of factors, from fears that communists had infiltrated the territory's labor unions to concerns that statehood would further disenfranchise its Native Hawaiian population.<br />&nbsp;<br />Fifty years later, Hawaiian activists are calling for an end to the statehood era, not as a goal unto itself but as a necessary step in remediating a series of illegal acts through which, they say, the United States robbed Hawai'i of its rightful status as a sovereign nation.<br />&nbsp;<br />Contemporary opposition to statehood, and by extension the larger Hawaiian sovereignty movement, is largely the result of a re-examination of Hawaiian history sparked by the so-called second Hawaiian renaissance.<br />&nbsp;<br />As Native Hawaiian political activism flourished throughout the 1970s and '80s - notably with the hard-fought success of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana - a new generation of Native Hawaiian scholars turned a critical eye to the circumstances that surrounded the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, the U.S. annexation of Hawai'i in 1898, and Hawai'i's entry to the union in 1959, and began to formulate legal bases for Hawaiian independence.<br />&nbsp;<br />The cause of Hawaiian self-determination has been taken up by myriad organizations large and small, from the state-affiliated but largely autonomous Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to grassroots organizations like Ka Lahui Hawai'i and Kanaka Maoli Tribunal Komike, to the estimated 20 or more individuals and groups that have claimed status as independent Hawaiian kingdoms, republics or other governmental forms.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>U.S. Apology</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />While the specific terms of independence each group advocates may vary widely, the justifications are typically predicated on the grounds that the overthrow, annexation and statehood were all achieved via illegal means.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Apology Resolution of 1993 - introduced by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, passed by both houses of Congress, and signed by then President Clinton - acknowledged "that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii occurred with the active participation of agents and citizens of the United States and ... that the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawaii or through a plebiscite or referendum."<br />&nbsp;<br />Though the resolution did not directly provide for or require any redress for Native Hawaiians, the fact of its very existence has served to bolster Hawaiian sovereignty claims.<br />&nbsp;<br />"Because of onipa'a (the massive demonstration of Native Hawaiian sovereignty advocates in observance of the 100th anniversary of the overthrow) in 1993, because of that pressure, Sen. Akaka felt compelled to investigate and that's why they drafted the apology," said physician and noted Hawaiian activist Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell. "They apologized for their role in the overthrow. They admitted it was a violation of treaties and international law and that they have violated the sovereignty of Native Hawaiian people and their right to self-determination.<br />&nbsp;<br />"Now they have to apologize for annexation and statehood," he said. "These are major crimes."<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>No formal treaty</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />Native Hawaiian scholars argue that annexation was illegal both in relation to the overthrow and in the way in which it was approved by Congress by resolution (requiring a simple majority vote) versus formal treaty, which would have required a two-thirds majority vote.<br />&nbsp;<br />As Lilikala Kama'eleihiwa, former director of the University of Hawai'i's Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, argues: "Because of the queen's restraint (in ordering no military resistance to the overthrow) and because there was no Hawaiian conflict with the American military, the taking of Hawai'i as an American territory in 1900, without a vote of the citizens of Hawai'i, and against the anti-annexation petitions signed by 95 percent of the Native Hawaiian population, continues to be illegal today."<br />&nbsp;<br />The argument against statehood seemed less clear until the 1990s, when Hawaiian scholars learned of Hawai'i's theretofore little-known inclusion on the United Nations' 1946 list of "non-self-governing territories."<br />&nbsp;<br />In 1953, the U.N. General Assembly passed Resolution 742, which held that inhabitants of non-self-governing territories were entitled to various options for self-government, including statehood, free association, commonwealth status or independence, with preference given to independence.<br />&nbsp;<br />In 1960, a year after statehood was accepted by Hawai'i voters, the U.N. General Assembly reviewed the list and adopted a declaration stating that all non-self-governing territories were entitled to independence and self-determination.<br />&nbsp;<br />Hawaiian sovereignty advocates argue that the "yes or no" options on the statehood ballot unfairly limited voters' options to immediately accept statehood or remain a territory (the default assumption for a "no" vote), thereby denying them the opportunity to pursue options for self-governance.<br />&nbsp;<br />Blaisdell said he and other kupuna are working to bring the issue to the attention of U.N. member nations in hopes of having the matter brought before the U.N. General Assembly.<br />&nbsp;<br />"Our Hawaiian nation does not have a seat in the U.N., so we have to go through a member nation that is willing to help us. To do that, we have to properly inform them."<br />&nbsp;<br />Blaisdell and a coalition of Hawaiian leaders and community activists have also written to President Obama asking for a meeting to address Native Hawaiian grievances and requesting his help in suspending action on the controversial Akaka bill.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>'Legally dubious'</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />Richard Falk, an emeritus professor of international law at Princeton University and U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the 1959 plebiscite was "legally dubious because it did not allow Hawaiians to exercise their full sovereign and inalienable right of self determination."<br />&nbsp;<br />"Of course, the long passage of time and the absence of effective opposition in 1959 could be argued to amount to a waiver," Falk said. "However, if Hawai'i was once a sovereign entity, and if the right of self-determination remains operative, then the people of Hawai'i remain entitled to some sort of assessment of their preferences as to status."<br />&nbsp;<br />Falk added that while the limited options on the ballot do not necessarily invalidate the plebiscite, "it is easier to suggest that changing circumstances and the improper limitation of options in 1959 mean that the plebiscite was defective and needs to be superseded by a new more authoritative expression of the will of the Hawaiian people."<br />&nbsp;<br />Yet, sovereignty advocates remain steadfast in their efforts to attain self-determination.<br />&nbsp;<br />For scholar-activists like Kama'eleihiwa, the urgency of the mission is evident in the appalling demographic profile of Native Hawaiians: low life expectancy and high infant mortality; increasing homelessness; disproportionately high numbers of Native Hawaiians in prison; disproportionately low numbers of Hawaiians in higher education, whether as students, faculty or administrators.<br />&nbsp;<br />"Of course, the most galling issue is lack of access to our ancestral lands," Kama'eleihiwa said. "We are a sea-going people, but lucky if 1 percent of us can afford land on the ocean anymore. We want land upon which to live and raise our children, upon which to build our houses and schools, where we can speak our ancestral language, and upon which we can plant our kalo and 'uala, and practice our culture. We are the only natives in the Pacific that do not control a land base."<br />&nbsp;<br />And for those problems to begin to be resolved, Kama'eleihiwa, Blaisdell, Niheu and a growing number of others argue, the era of statehood must give way to something new.<br />&nbsp;<br />Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.<br /><br />&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:45:30 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1200959/50-years-of-hawaii-statehood-fact-or-fiction- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1186761/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-part-ii-the-master-bath <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Virtual Master Suite Make Over Part II: The Master Bath</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1180193/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-breakfast-in-bed-at-tiffany-s-" target="_blank">Virtual Master Suite Make Over Part I</a></p> <p><img title="JDS Consulting Before Pic" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/7/0/1/1/ar124969108011071.jpg" height="468" alt="JDS Consulting Before Pic" width="312" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In continuation of our virtual master suite makeover we move to the bathroom of our Nu'uanu, Hawaii Condo project. Our clients have a tiled water closet in the master bath separating the bath and toilet from the vanity area which is carpeted. For this post and project we focused on the vanity area alone.</p> <p><strong>Renovating Kitchens and bathrooms traditionally returns the most money on your investment at the resale of the property. As Real Estate Merchandisers we advise are clients to maximize return by economizing on big ticket items like granite and hardwood by searching for on sale, discontinued or remnant products online and locally.</strong></p> <p>When it comes to the appraisal, granite is granite regardless of how much you paid for it. Spending a little time to see whats on sale can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars both pre and post sale of the property. The same goes for hardwood and fixtures.</p> <p><strong>Avoid buying the top of the line, most expensive&nbsp;products, instead select quality middle of the road fixtures that are easy to clean and made by reputable manufacturers. There are substantial savings to be made if you check online for close-outs and sales.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="JDS Consulting- swatches" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/7/1/6/2/ar12496908526174.jpg" height="507" alt="JDS Consulting- swatches" width="421" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Our clients had decided to use Cherry hard wood in the kitchen remodel, and a dark&nbsp;oatmeal Berber throughout the condo. To coordinate those choices We compiled some options for flooring in the vanity area of the master bath to include a&nbsp;strawberry Coral Stone, cream Travertine, Eco-friendly Cork, and&nbsp;asymmetrical Slate tiles.</p> <p>As they had yet to decide on the flooring for the Kitchen, entry, and hallways we suggested that whatever flooring was decided for those areas we would continue into the master bath vanity in replacement of the carpeting. We suggested a double vanity and Dark Cherry cabinets with granite or coral for a countertop&nbsp;in the Bath but suggested that a lighter stained Cherry&nbsp;could work as well&nbsp;in contrast&nbsp;with the Kitchen Cabinets.</p> <p>The renderings below gave the client an idea of how the combination of different materials might work with various wall colors.</p> <p><img title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Decor Design and Home Staging" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/7/2/4/2/ar124994147724272.JPG" height="800" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Decor Design and Home Staging" width="642" /></p> <p>When it came to fixtures we suggested brushed nickle for the faucets and drawer pulls and&nbsp;offered some online sale items that could be compared to local pricing(minus the shipping costs to Hawaii). <img title="JDS Consulting-Decor Design and Home Staging" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/6/9/4/ar124969070749692.jpg" height="378" alt="JDS Consulting-Decor Design and Home Staging" width="487" style="margin: 10px;" /></p> <p>The final result was a sophisticated bright and warm space that could withstand both home owners and renters wear and tear without too much maintenance needed. I suggested an Asian Art piece consisting of drooping golden Chrysanthemums by Thai Artist Luo Suya, who specializes in Chinese brush painting.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="JDS Consulting-Decor Design and Home Staging" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/7/7/4/5/ar124969057554779.jpg" height="619" alt="JDS Consulting-Decor Design and Home Staging" width="446" style="margin: 10px;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Nu'uanu Hawaii, Virtual Master Suite Make Over Part II: The Master Bath</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong>&nbsp;<em>Hawaii Home Staging and&nbsp;Decor Design.&nbsp;Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:09:16 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1186761/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-part-ii-the-master-bath http://activerain.com/blogsview/1180193/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-breakfast-in-bed-at-tiffany-s- <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Part I: The Master Bedroom -&nbsp;A diamond in the rough.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/6/4/1/1/ar124934314411466.jpg" height="410" alt="" width="614" /></p> <p>&nbsp;The heroine of this master suite makeovers name has been changed for dramatic purposes to "Tiffany"; whose family is in the process of remodeling their Nu'uanu Condo. <strong>Tiffany and Co. needed help with design choices and contacted JDS Consulting for some Do It Yourself advice. After our initial consultation we determined that the new diggs would have a Modern, Contemporary Asian design aesthetic with an earth tone color palette to compliment the view.</strong> We also needed the space to potentially function as both a second home and or&nbsp;rental, so stylish durability was an important factor. We chose a delicious color palette of rich honey gold, espresso brown, and oatmeal neutral for the master bedroom and a smattering of polished strawberry coral stone and chocolate cabinetry&nbsp;in the master bath all concocted to cook up a lip smacking delight to wake up to.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/4/5/9/ar124934397995453.jpg" height="513" alt="" width="217" style="margin-top: 10px; float: left; margin-bottom: 10px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/0/5/9/2/ar124934301229507.jpg" height="493" alt="" width="303" style="margin: 10px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>To create interest and warmth to the bedroom we decided an accent wall would be appropriate. The accent wall would act as a secondary focal point for&nbsp;the room(the view being the primary)&nbsp;and would be behind the headboard of the bed. We selected a honey gold color and offered a variety of art possibilities to compliment the decor of espresso colored furniture and oatmeal colored walls.</strong></p> <p>Our&nbsp;first accent wall art suggestion was an Asian styled gold leaf screen; bamboo is a common Asian motif and ties nicely with the rooms view of Punch Bowl crater and the Asian theme of the condo.</p> <p>Our second suggestion was a sculptural piece comprised of various rectangles&nbsp;inspired from the carpet patterns in the figure below, bottom right. Decidedly more modern than the traditional screen, it is a renter-friendly option that could be made by hand or re-purposed from any number of&nbsp;recycled materials.</p> <p>The last suggestion was a damask which could be painted with stencil or incorporated as a&nbsp;wallpaper or fabric&nbsp;panel. We suggested an Hawaiian quilt pattern but a number of designs could work equally well in this design.<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/7/8/5/8/ar124942157185875.jpg" height="487" alt="" width="319" style="float: right;" /></p> <p><strong>A major design aesthetic in Hawaii is the seemless transition from interior spaces to exterior spaces.</strong></p> <p>Hawaiian design takes full advantage of the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape by incorporating it's colors and flora into the design allowing the eye to move unhindered from foreground to horizon.</p> <p>The elegant shape and miniaturized form of a Bonsai tree helps draw the greenery inside: blurring the lines between the in and out of doors.</p> <p>We chose a sculpted rectangular nickle lamp with gold shade to reinforce the modern rectangle motif that we repeat through out the condo. We also selected area rugs that reinforced the rectangle theme.</p> <p>The minimalist side table pictured to the right was offered as an option for our clients&nbsp;to recycle the kitchen cabinet doors which were being replaced. The simplicity of the design is both modern and Eco friendly, requiring less materials to produce a functioning piece of furniture.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/0/8/4/4/ar124934319644807.jpg" height="338" alt="" width="600" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Stay tuned for Part II: A Virtual Master Bath make over!</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Nu'uanu Hawaii, Virtual Master Suite Make Over: Breakfast in Bed at Tiffany's!</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:23:01 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1180193/nu-uanu-hawaii-virtual-master-suite-make-over-breakfast-in-bed-at-tiffany-s- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1151797/dreams-do-come-true-give-a-gift-of-feng-shui-to-brighten-someone-s-day- <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="&quot;Dreams Come True&quot; by Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/8/0/1/5/ar124760071951087.jpg" height="381" alt="&quot;Dreams Come True&quot; by Zojing" width="480" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>You have perhaps heard about the ancient Chinese tradition of Feng Shui and you may even know that it is a philosophy applied to interior design and it's concepts are utilized by many Real Estate merchandisers and home stagers. But what you might not know is that <strong>Feng Shui</strong> <strong>is a philosophy of&nbsp;creating and optimizing&nbsp;environments to bring about happiness, abundance and harmony for it's inhabitants.&nbsp;This philosophy includes urban and city planning,&nbsp;personal and public architecture, interior and garden design, and the ultimate placement of objects in our personal environments. </strong><strong></strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="&quot;Wealth and Abundance&quot; by Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/7/4/2/ar124760079724768.jpg" height="280" alt="&quot;Wealth and Abundance&quot; by Zojing" width="349" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" />&nbsp;</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Feng Shui is simply&nbsp;translated as&nbsp;"wind" and "water"&nbsp;used together the words represent harmony and balance. The ancient&nbsp;understanding is based on the flow of energy or "chi" through the universe and our everyday existence</strong>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="&quot;Happiness&quot; by Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/4/3/3/2/ar12476008923343.jpg" height="280" alt="&quot;Happiness&quot; by Zojing" width="351" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>It is believed that the practice was first established&nbsp;over six&nbsp;thousand years ago and is related to physics, philosophy, astronomy and astrology.</strong>&nbsp;Oringinating in Fuxing(Foo-SHING) Province, it is said that the creators of Feng Shui were a group of woman advisers to&nbsp;an ancient&nbsp;Zhou King.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Ancient Hawaiians practiced a remarkably similar philosophy in architecture and interior design</strong> to maximise mana(energy)&nbsp;promoting it's unhindered&nbsp;flow as essential to healthy and prosperous living.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Artists share their tecnique with onlookers in Gaungzhou, China" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/3/9/1/5/ar12476024351936.jpg" height="350" alt="Artists share their tecnique with onlookers in Gaungzhou, China" width="233" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /><img title="Calligraphy and Art set to dry, Guangzhou China" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/6/9/6/7/ar124760272376967.jpg" height="350" alt="Calligraphy and Art set to dry, Guangzhou China" width="233" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <p>On my last visit to China I had an opportunity to watch several artists&nbsp;produce traditional water color and calligraphy pieces. <strong>Here artists in Guangzhou (Canton), paint out on the street near the Six Banyan</strong> Temple - photos by Kimo</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="&quot;Good Health&quot; by Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/1/6/5/0/ar124760123405617.jpg" height="467" alt="&quot;Good Health&quot; by Zojing" width="360" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>With the knowledge of Feng Shui, people are believed to be able to make themselves more compatible with nature, their surroundings and the flow of their&nbsp;own lives</strong>, so that they can have a more affirming influence on their emotions, health, and finances.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="&quot;Happiness and Long Life&quot; by Zojing " src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/4/0/2/5/ar124760143252049.jpg" height="360" alt="&quot;Happiness and Long Life&quot; by Zojing" width="455" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to Feng Shui philosophy, relationships, wealth, success and health are relative to the arrangement of our belongings.<strong> If the energy in our environment is hindered or not flowing correctly it can cause disharmony.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="&quot;Love and Happiness&quot; by Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/9/1/6/3/ar124760164936194.jpg" height="333" alt="&quot;Love and Happiness&quot; by Zojing" width="260" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Feng Shui aims to balance energy in order to attain greater happiness, well-being and productivity and <strong>Feng</strong> <strong>Shui Art inspires the viewer to behold and envision these concepts. In doing so you are able to manifest these emotional states in your life and environment.</strong></p> <p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><img title="Hawaii Artist Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/3/5/7/ar124760379575314.jpg" height="277" alt="Hawaii Artist Zojing" width="216" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The Feng Shui Art that is featured in this post was created by Hawaii resident Zojing</strong>.</p> <p> <p>Born in Hong Kong, educated in Australia and Canada,&nbsp;Zojing has found inspiration for her art living here in Hawaii. Specializing in Asian Calligraphy, watercolors and abstract brush painting she brings modern flare and color&nbsp;to the ancient art forms of the Far East.</p> </p> <p> <p>Please visit her website <a href="http://www.FengShuiArt.com" target="_blank">FengShuiArt.com</a>&nbsp;to purchase great gifts for&nbsp;clients, family and friends&nbsp;at very reasonable prices.</p> <p><strong>Many of her pieces are available for under $20 </strong>and are perfect for closing gifts and accentuating the Feng Shui decor in homes and offices. Perfect for home staging!</p> <p>You can see Zojing's work on display at the <strong>Louis Pohl Gallery</strong> on the corner of Nu'uanu and Hotel Streets&nbsp;in Chinatown here in Honolulu.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="&quot;Heaven and Earth&quot; by Zojing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/9/3/3/4/ar124760204743397.jpg" height="360" alt="&quot;Heaven and Earth&quot; by Zojing" width="480" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<em><strong>Heaven and Earth </strong></em>by Zojing</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dreams Do Come True-&nbsp;Give A Gift of Feng Shui to brighten someones day!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog:</em> <strong>Questions for Kimo: Decor Design &amp; all things Hawaiian- </strong><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p><br />&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:46:57 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1151797/dreams-do-come-true-give-a-gift-of-feng-shui-to-brighten-someone-s-day- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1146754/and-now-a-word-from-our-sponsors-real-estate-merchandising-works-wonders- <table cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5" width="600" style="font-family: georgia; border: 1px solid #666666;"> <tr> <td> <div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://hestia.emailflyerads.com/cmds/images/craigslist_260343_cfa.jpg" border="0" alt=""></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#999999"><b>DESCRIPTION AND FEATURES</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 5px; color: #666666;">JDS Consulting provides Real Estate Merchandising Services including: Home Staging & Remodeling. We assist home sellers in preparing their properties for sale; attracting serious buyers with better offers. In a down market with high inventories it's important to get your properties noticed by prospective buyers. Find out why merchandising works and visit our website for helpful tips and DIY information.</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#999999"><b>LINKS</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 5px; color: #666666;"><ul><li><a href="http://RealEstateDesignOnLine.com" target="_blank">JDS Consulting: Decor Design and Home Staging</a></li><li><a href="http://activerain.com/blogs/jdsdecordesign" target="_blank">Questions for Kimo: Decor Design</a></li></ul></td> </tr> </table> JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009 <div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:22:21 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1146754/and-now-a-word-from-our-sponsors-real-estate-merchandising-works-wonders- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1138151/real-estate-merchandisers-in-the-news-active-rain-member-allegra-dioguardi <p><a href="http://activerain.com/styledandsold" target="_blank"><img title="Allegra Dioguardi " src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/1/6/0/1/ar124656259910615.jpg" height="270" alt="Allegra Dioguardi " width="184" style="margin: 20px; float: right;" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Real Estate Merchandisers in the News: Active Rain member Featured in <a href="http://www.hamptons.com/Real-Estate/Realty-Takes/8081/Realtors-Hopes-Rise-As-Home-Sales-Inch-Upward.html#commentAnchor">www.Hamptons.com</a>&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://www.hamptons.com/Real-Estate/Realty-Takes/8081/Realtors-Hopes-Rise-As-Home-Sales-Inch-Upward.html# " target="_blank">"Realtor's Hopes Rise As Home Sales Inch Upward"</a></strong></p> <p>Congratulations to Active Rain member&nbsp;and fellow merchandiser <a href="http://activerain.com/styledandsold" target="_blank">Allegra Dioguardi</a> for hosting a&nbsp;standing room only Real Estate merchandising event in the Hampton's this past month; confirming that sellers are&nbsp;taking advantage of the marketing power&nbsp;of a well merchandised property. Merchandising is more than just staging: it's strategic marketing, updating, addressing all the little issues that make potential buyers make an offer, it's about&nbsp;marketing a lifestyle and maximizing what the location has to offer to a new resident in the neighborhood.</p> <p>Allegra has a degree in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design in NYC and is a design instructor and published author of the e-book,&nbsp;<strong>"Styled by Design- A Guide to the Design Principles of Home Staging"</strong> (<a href="http://www.styledbydesign.com/" target="_blank">www.styledbydesign.com</a>)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Merchandised Property by Allegra Dioguardi " src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/4/6/0/8/ar124656272380643.jpg" height="313" alt="Merchandised Property by Allegra Dioguardi " width="480" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Allegra transforming Homes in the Hampton's.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">photos are copy right of Allegra Dioguardi 2009</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:33:30 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1138151/real-estate-merchandisers-in-the-news-active-rain-member-allegra-dioguardi http://activerain.com/blogsview/1120630/under-contract-in-four-days-why-real-estate-merchandising-gets-buyers-attention- <p><strong>Never underestimate the power of Real Estate Merchandising to grab buyers attention. This property had originally been on the market for several months; went under contract but after the inspection&nbsp;the buyers decided&nbsp;to withdraw the offer.&nbsp;Not a particularly unusual story in&nbsp;the current&nbsp;market as many buyers if faced with a choice, will pick move in ready properties over those with big To-Do lists.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1084667/before-and-after-condo-makeover-in-waikiki-hawaii-">Blog Entry: Before and After Condo Makeover in Waikiki Hawaii!</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Condo Before Real Estate Merchandising" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/3/2/7/1/ar124571092517234.jpg" height="400" alt="Condo Before Real Estate Merchandising" width="600" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><strong>The challenge in this particular situation was getting the Real Estate agents in the area to revisit the property after it had sat on the market for months and on top of that, had a buyer withdraw an offer. Since the seller didn't want to lower the price it came down to the properties Marketing and Merchandising. </strong>As Real Estate Merchandisers we pay close attention to the general condition of the property and suggest improvements that first address any inspection issues that might compromise the sale and then address the many details that catch the buyers eye. Wall color, flooring, fixtures, and staging are the primary focus of Real Estate Merchandisers&nbsp;at <strong>JDS Consulting</strong>. Selecting cost appropriate and effective improvements is very important in&nbsp;Merchandising a property for sale so as to maximize the greatest return on the improvements made.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Condo After Real Estate Merchandising" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/5/6/2/4/ar124571101942656.JPG" height="400" alt="Condo After Real Estate Merchandising" width="600" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><strong>Over-developing&nbsp;a property can cost sellers big bucks that most often are never recouped in the sale. Adding high end fixtures to mid range properties sounds like it might attract more buyers to make offers but most often it has the opposite effect.</strong> High-end design and fixtures&nbsp;often means&nbsp;a comparatively high&nbsp;price tag for the property; Sellers typically don't want to reduce&nbsp;the price of their recently remodeled&nbsp;properties and cost conscious buyers often don't see the rational of paying tens of thousands of dollars more for a property that has granite counter tops and exotic hard wood cabinetry when they can get a more reasonably priced&nbsp;property with middle of the road updates they can live with. Buyers always have the option of making improvements over time and&nbsp;to their personal taste but the key words are <strong>MOVE IN READY</strong>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Condo After Real Estate Merchandising" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/6/2/0/ar124571117702658.JPG" height="400" alt="Condo After Real Estate Merchandising" width="600" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>In order to keep the remodel&nbsp;as cost effective as possible, we chose new laminate counter tops, flooring and durable but comparatively inexpensive Berber carpeting. We refurbished all the existing furniture and kept our staging costs to a minimum. <strong>We avoided&nbsp;budget busting&nbsp;details such as stainless steel appliances, and granite and&nbsp;maximized the budget&nbsp;by improving the entire appearance of the unit, not just the kitchen and bathrooms, by adding new flooring and carpeting throughout.&nbsp;&nbsp;We also utilized the&nbsp;strategic use of&nbsp;colored accent walls&nbsp;and coordinated accessories.</strong></p> <p><strong>Four days after the first open house&nbsp;since it's remodel, the&nbsp; two bedroom two bath unit went under contract. The offer came from a buyer who was intent on purchasing another unit in the building&nbsp;but changed her mind after seeing the newly updated unit.&nbsp;Her reasoning,&nbsp;"I can just move in, I don't need to do anything to it!"</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Under Contract in Four Days:</span> </strong>Why Real Estate Merchandising Gets Buyers Attention!</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog:</em> <strong>Questions for Kimo: Decor Design &amp; all things Hawaiian- </strong><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:16:41 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1120630/under-contract-in-four-days-why-real-estate-merchandising-gets-buyers-attention- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1114238/honoring-ka-mo-i-ali-i-nui-kamehameha <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="King Kamehameha the Great draped in flower lei" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/7/4/9/1/ar124493694019472.jpg" height="600" alt="Statue of King Kamehameha the Great draped in flower lei" width="565" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="King Kamehameha the Great" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/0/6/6/ar124493771366091.gif" height="547" alt="King Kamehameha the Great" width="417" /></p> <p><strong> <p style="text-align: center;">Kamehameha the Great</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom from 1795-1819</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> </strong>There have only been a few dozen individuals throughout the entirety of Human civilization who have garnered the epithet of "The Great". You might be familiar with Rameses, Xerxes, Alexander, Cyrus, Herod, Charlemagne, Akbar, Saladin, Ferdinand, Frederick, Peter, Catherine, Napoleon, Genghis Kahn, Rajaraja, Yu and Hang Wu to name but a few. Masters of nations and empires fitting of their titles. But perhaps more fascinating than these giants of history is the King of a tiny nation archipelago, the most remote island chain in the world. This King, a giant in his own right standing over 7 feet in height and renowned for his legendary strength, would come to be known as Kamehameha the Great of Hawai'i!</p> <p>Hawaiian prophecy proclaimed that a great king would one day unite all of the Hawaiian islands, and that the sign of his birth would be heralded in the skies. He would be known as a Killer of Chiefs and his rule would bring great change to the island nation which would eventually be known to the world as Hawai'i. Halley's comet was visible from Hawai'iin 1758 and legend has it that Kamehameha was born shortly after its appearance, in the month of February, however, there are other accounts that place his birth in November of 1737. Born into royalty, Pai'ea as he was known would grow into a formidable warrior, statesman, diplomat and cultural scion and would lead the Hawaiian people into the modern world with skill, dignity, and unity.</p> <p>Engaging in a series of military campaigns starting on the Big Island and moving to Moloka'i, Mau'i, and then Oahu. Kamehameha took advantage of the modern technology made available to him through western interaction. Using muskets and cannons to vanquish his enemies, Kamehameha conquered all of the islands save Kaua'i whose King&nbsp;Kaumuali'i agreed to serve as vassal under Kamehameha who was declared Ka Mo'i Ali'i o' Hawai'i nei or King of all Hawai'i.</p> <p>Kamehameha took several steps to propagate the independence of the islands even after his death. He codified the legal system and he used the resources of the islands to promote trade with Europe and the United States. Kamehameha did not allow non-Hawaiians to own land; they would not be able to until the Great Mahele of 1848 many years after his passing. No foreign ownership of land protected Hawai'i's sovereignty from foriegn encroachment even as other Polynesian nations succumbed to western colonization.</p> <p>The Kingdom of Hawai'i retained its independence, except for a five-month British occupation in 1843, until the illegal overthrow of the Monarchy by a cadre of American and European business owners abetted by the United States Navy on January 16th 1889. Hawaii celebrates the many accomplishments of Kamehameha the Great on June 11th, officially known as Kamehameha Day with parades and events state wide.</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:08:38 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1114238/honoring-ka-mo-i-ali-i-nui-kamehameha http://activerain.com/blogsview/1108622/move-over-modernity-it-s-moooi- <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Moooi" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/9/6/3/9/ar124458337493695.jpg" height="524" alt="Moooi " width="439" /></p> <p>As some of you already know I'm a big Dutch Modern fan and love the modern design aesthetic of <strong>Marcel Wanders and Moooi</strong>. Unfortunately when I was in Amsterdam this past winter&nbsp;the Moooi gallery had yet to open it's doors to the public. Finally the&nbsp;highly anticipated moment has arrived and the gallery is poised to release it's new collection in it's new diggs on June 12th 2009. Here's a little peak of what's inside.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1036127/mod-tips-for-home-stagers-modern-news-for-modern-styles-">Blog Entry: Mod Tips for Home Stagers...Modern News for Modern Styles...</a><img title="Moooi Gallery" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/6/3/6/2/ar124458345226367.jpg" height="532" alt="Moooi Gallery" width="640" style="margin: 20px; vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>Moooi Gallery</strong>&nbsp;<br />Opened June 1st this year and anticipating the release of it's new collection fresh from Milan's <a href="http://www.cosmit.it/tool/home.php?s=0,2,67,71,75">Salone di Mobile</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;June 12th, the gallery will offer lifestyle products, furniture, and&nbsp;l'objet d'art, all within a broader&nbsp;co-existing creative context. The new collection&nbsp;reveals an assortment of signature Moooi items juxtaposed with other&nbsp;historic more traditional pieces from around the globe. The Moooi Gallery&nbsp;is intent on becoming&nbsp;&nbsp;the modern Mecca for your home interior and decor needs. So be prepared, you may see a new <a href="http://www.moooi.com/">Moooi</a>&nbsp;gallery moving to your metropolis in the near future. If you live in Hawaii, you can find Moooi at the <a href="http://www.honoluludesigncenter.com" target="_blank">Honolulu Design Center</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>"The Gallery wishes to achieve a position next to some of the most important design galleries in the world such as MOSS in New York, Rosanna Orlandi in Milan or The Design Republic in Shanghai."</p> <p><strong>What you can find at the&nbsp;Moooi Gallery&nbsp;<br /></strong>* Moooi collection&nbsp;<br />* Moooi Gallery; exhibitions and installations of stylists &amp; artists&nbsp;<br />* Pre 19th century Swedish furniture&nbsp;<br />* Unique pieces from Marcel Wanders&nbsp;<br />* Unique gifts from around the world&nbsp;<br />* Books and creative literature<br />*&nbsp;Interior consultations and workplace</p> <p>Moooi Gallery<br />Westerstraat 187<br />1015 MA Amsterdam<br />The Netherlands<br />Open: Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 - 18.00 (Monday closed)<br />Thursday and Friday from 10.00 - 21.00<br />T:&nbsp; +31(0)20-5287760</p> <p>&nbsp;Below are photos of my trip to Amsterdam this past winter.&nbsp;<img title="St Nicholas Cathedral Amsterdam" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/3/3/4/ar124458282843353.jpg" height="480" alt="St Nicholas Cathedral Amsterdam" width="640" style="margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img title="Kimo in the Bloomin Market Amsterdam" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/8/4/8/9/ar124458458798483.jpg" height="225" alt="Kimo in the Bloomin Market Amsterdam" width="300" style="margin: 10px;" /><img title="Amsterdam Canal" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/9/6/5/ar124458465856965.jpg" height="225" alt="Amsterdam Canal" width="300" style="margin: 10px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog:</em> <strong>Questions for Kimo: Decor Design &amp; all things Hawaiian- </strong><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:25:39 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1108622/move-over-modernity-it-s-moooi- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1107579/accessory-quest-if-your-into-accessories-theirs-are-on-sale- <p>&nbsp;<img title="INTO store front" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/5/6/3/6/ar12445198063651.jpg" height="308" alt="INTO store front" width="205" style="float: left; margin: 20px;" />&nbsp;</p> <p>In the perpetual pursuit of the perfect accessories...</p> <p><strong>One of my favorite accessories and fine furnishings&nbsp;store <span style="text-decoration: underline;">INTO</span> is having a 25% to 50% off sale now until the end of June. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">INTO</span> is&nbsp;located at 40 North Hotel Street near the intersection of Smith and Hotel in Honolulu's historic Chinatown. </strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.intohonolulu.com/home_.htm" target="_blank"><strong>INTO</strong></a> offers an abundant assortment of&nbsp;furnishings including traditional and&nbsp;contemporary home accessories, furnishings and lighting together with a selection of specialty books from publishers including <strong>Assouline, Taschen and teNeues</strong>.</p> <p>Owner <strong>Alan Carrell </strong>offers <strong>eco-friendly, socially&nbsp;conscious products&nbsp;from around the world </strong>and<strong> </strong>will be happy to assist you in finding that exceptional conversation piece for your home or design project.</p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/957757/Swept-up-on-an-Accessories-Quest-we-land-on-Southern-Hawaii-shores-SoHa-So-Good">Blog Entry: Swept up on an Accessories Quest; we land on Southern Hawaii shores- SoHa So Good!</a></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/953665/Its-the-Most-Wonderful-Time-of-the-Yearno-its-not-Christmas-its-Clearance">Blog Entry: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...no, it's not Christmas it's Clearance!</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Shell lamp from the Phillipines" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/9/3/9/7/ar124451716379395.jpg" height="307" alt="Shell lamp from the Phillipines" width="205" style="margin: 20px;" /><img title="Shell Lamp Detail" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/3/7/4/4/ar124451710244737.jpg" height="307" alt="Shell Lamp Detail" width="280" style="margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>Above is a <strong>decorative lamp from the Philippines</strong> made from hundreds of shells. The detail to the&nbsp;right shows how the shells have been cut in two to reveal the polished interior and allow&nbsp;opaque light to pass through the shade.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Wood lamp shade by XYDecor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/3/8/9/9/ar124451721399834.jpg" height="307" alt="Wood lamp shade by XYDecor" width="205" style="margin: 20px;" /><img title="Wood Lamp shade by XYDecor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/5/9/5/ar124451751959564.jpg" height="307" alt="Wood Lamp shade by XYDecor" width="205" style="margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>These <strong>eco-friendly chic</strong> <strong>lamp shades</strong> are designed by <strong><a href="http://www.xydecor.com" target="_blank">XYDecor</a></strong> and are made from wood veneer and bent into these modern and engaging shapes.</p> <p><img title="Jonathan Adler Lamp and Bowls and Plates by Mustardseed and Moonshine" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/9/5/2/1/ar124452318712594.jpg" height="450" alt="Jonathan Adler Lamp and Bowls and Plates by Mustardseed and Moonshine" width="300" style="float: left; margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>To the left is a <strong>"faces" lamp</strong> by renowned potter and interior designer <strong><a href="http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/index.php" target="_blank">Jonathan Adler</a></strong>.</p> <p><strong>The Bok Choy bowls and dishes </strong>including the&nbsp;<strong>Lilly blossom bowl</strong> were created by the South African socially conscious company <strong><a href="http://www.mustardseedandmoonshine.com/" target="_blank">Mustardseed and Moonshine</a>.</strong></p> <p>Below <strong>hand turned Koa and Milo wood bowls</strong> with stunning grains.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img title="Koa and Milo Bowls" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/7/4/0/1/ar124451705110472.jpg" height="263" alt="Koa and Milo Bowls" width="181" style="margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<img title="Coffee Bean Balls" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/1/3/8/ar124451786383108.jpg" height="307" alt="Coffee Bean Balls" width="205" style="margin: 20px;" /><img title="Pear made from Lima Beans" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/4/5/8/6/ar124451793268546.jpg" height="307" alt="Pear made from Lima Beans" width="205" style="margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>Above to the left are deliciously <strong>scented decorative spheres</strong> made from Coffee beans&nbsp;by a collective of women craft workers in Mexico. The <strong>whimsical pear </strong>to the right is made from Lima beans.</p> <p>The <strong>lamps</strong> below are designed by <strong><a href="http://www.markchaiarts.com/" target="_blank">Mark Chai</a>&nbsp;</strong>an award-winning, Hawaiian artist. The lamp to the left is made from&nbsp;Koa veneer and the lamp to the right is made from recycled plastic.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Wood Lamp Shade by Mark Chai" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/8/4/5/ar124451800854864.jpg" height="200" alt="Wood Lamp Shade by Mark Chai" width="134" style="margin: 20px;" /><img title="Lamp Shade by Mark Chai" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/7/1/6/ar124451811161799.JPG" height="200" alt="Lamp Shade by Mark Chai" width="300" style="margin: 20px;" /></p> <p>Take advantage on some top of the line accessories at incredible prices. <strong>Accessory Quest: If your INTO accessories, theirs are on sale.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="map" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/5/8/5/3/ar124453729335855.jpg" height="410" alt="Map" width="475" style="margin: 20px; vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog:</em> <strong>Questions for Kimo: Decor Design &amp; all things Hawaiian- </strong><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:56:57 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1107579/accessory-quest-if-your-into-accessories-theirs-are-on-sale- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1099806/developing-an-editors-eye- <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Developing an Editorial Eye" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/2/8/0/8/ar124399974180824.jpg" height="418" alt="Developing an Editorial Eye" width="434" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>edit&nbsp;&nbsp;- (!e-dut):</strong> <em>to prepare (as literary material) for publication or public presentation b. b to assemble (as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging c. c to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose - carefully edited the speech - edit a data file -<strong>Webster Online Dictionary </strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>As active bloggers we are usually acutely aware of our editing skills or lack there of when it comes to writing but developing an editors eye for ones own&nbsp;occupation can be applied successfully to almost every profession with amazing results. </strong>As a Real Estate merchandiser it is an invaluable skill that requires constant application. Learning to develop your editorial eye sight takes plenty of&nbsp;practice and perseverance to perfect, the benefits of which are not only noteworthy&nbsp;but&nbsp;profitable especially when your occupation involves details great and small. None the less it is not as difficult to&nbsp;become a master in observation as one might think but does take a considerable amount of concentration, presence of mind, and practice.<img title="Diagram of the eye" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/8/6/8/ar12441801486811.jpg" height="221" alt="Diagram of the eye" width="270" style="float: right; margin: 20px;" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">The majority of our perceived reality is brought to us by the miraculous machinery of the <em><strong>oculus humanus</strong> or the Human eye<strong>. </strong></em><strong>Unfortunately, in our busy lives we often don't have the ability or patience to calm the mind enough to allow the information collected by the eye to actually seep into our consciousness</strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Human brain&nbsp;Just like DSL or cable, can process only&nbsp;so much information at any one time. The more neurons being dedicated to thinking, problem solving, communicating, the less details in it's environment the brain pays attention to; just as the information being processed by your&nbsp;DSL connection&nbsp;slows dramatically when the number of people gaining access information on the Internet increases.&nbsp;How many times, in a rush, have you downloaded a file from the Internet and then forgotten what you named it,&nbsp;where you stored it, or when you filed it? &nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>In our modern, hectic, ADHD, whirlwind of an existence our brain is so involved with the crackle of excessive thinking that it&nbsp;often times&nbsp;forgets where it stored what it&nbsp;has "seen" and in it's place an imperfect simulacrum presents itself as reality</strong>. The brain forgetting where it stored the information to complete the picture begins to interpret, extrapolate, and substitute&nbsp;what it cannot find or it simply leaves the detail out all together.&nbsp;Eye witnesses are notorious for&nbsp;unintentionally giving false or incomplete&nbsp;testimony. There are a number of reasons why scientists believe this happens but&nbsp;the usual causes are the brain was engaged in doing something else, was distracted or preoccupied with thought, or it happened so quickly that&nbsp;the event&nbsp;did not register entirely in the brain. Regardless, If you are not focusing on what your looking at most often your going to miss something important.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="Eye focusing" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/7/7/3/6/ar124418024363773.jpg" height="91" alt="Eye focusing" width="322" style="float: left;" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img title="sofa" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/2/3/7/0/ar124418718107324.gif" height="79" alt="sofa" width="148" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></p> <p><strong> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><img title="Eye of Providence on the US one dollar bill" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/2/3/2/5/ar124418797452328.jpg" height="138" alt="Eye of Providence on the US one dollar bill" width="154" style="float: right; margin: 20px;" /></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </strong></p> <p> <p><strong> <p><strong></strong></p> </strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> </p> <p><strong>When it comes to professionals who make a living from ones ability to discern details it&nbsp;is</strong> <strong>tantamount to develop your editing eye as much as possible&nbsp;as your reputation usually depends upon it</strong>. Now many of us have tricks and tools to help us compensate. Photographs&nbsp;are a fantastic tool to help one keep up on the details. The saying that a photo never lies is appropriate in that the data that has been collected&nbsp;by the camera is not competing with the brains activity or idiosyncrasies and is not constrained by the passing of time. What the camera sees is what is there. Now it is not enough to just recognize detail,&nbsp;when it comes to developing an editors eye, one must also apply the editing part as well.</p> <p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recognizing and manipulating content, relevance, structure, flow, and the artfulness in which these elements are conveyed&nbsp;are what separates one editor from another</strong>. However, at some point when we are in the creation process we can loose are ability to edit ourselves and we usually end up with a disaster as a result.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Erudite art dealer and Manhattan socialite Fran Kitteridge, from the play and film <em><strong>6 Degrees of Separation</strong>,<strong> </strong></em>makes a poignant observation about creative abilities and how it takes more than just talent to be successful.</p> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><img title="Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing as Flan and Ouisa Kitteridge in the tragi-comedy of manners Six Degrees of Separation" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/1/4/4/5/ar124418217354418.jpg" height="239" alt="Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing as Flan and Ouisa Kitteridge in the tragi-comedy of manners Six Degrees of Separation" width="184" style="float: left; margin: 20px;" /><em></em><em></em></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>...how easy it is for a painter to lose a painting.<br />He paints and paints, works on a canvas for months,<br />and then, one day, he loses it.</em></p> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Loses the structure, loses the sense of it. You lose the painting...</em></p> <p>&nbsp;<em>I remembered asking my kids' second-grade teacher:<br />"Why are all your students geniuses?"<br />Look at the first grade - blotches of green<br />and black. The third grade - camouflage.<br />But your grade, the second grade...Matisses, every one.&nbsp;</em></p> <p><em>You've made my child a Matisse...What is your secret?</em></p> <p><em>I don't have any secret. I just know when to take their&nbsp;drawings away from them.</em></p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><strong>Self editing, requires emotional separation from&nbsp;the&nbsp;subject so&nbsp;one can objectively "observe" not judge, rationalize, or let the ego run fancy free in creative overflow. Whether your writing a post,&nbsp;negotiating a contract,&nbsp;or staging a property for sale, developing your editors eye can define you and your services as exceptional</strong>. We all have a <em>Matisse </em>hiding inside we just need that 2nd grade teacher lurking over our shoulder preventing&nbsp;us stopping too soon or&nbsp;from overworking our project.</p> <p> <p><strong>The biggest obstacle to developing your self editing is, of course, your mind. Setting aside a time to edit&nbsp;your project&nbsp;calmly and objectively can be an inconveinent&nbsp;luxury in our busy world</strong>. There are, however, some exercises that can calm and relax the eyes and your mind so the editors eye can be&nbsp;operating and working for you at anytime anywhere.</p> </p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img title="Eye excercise" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/2/0/1/ar124417509310253.jpg" height="232" alt="Eye excercise" width="217" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img title="Eye Excercise" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/6/8/3/2/ar124417517323869.jpg" height="231" alt="Eye Excercise" width="207" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></p> <p><em>In the figure&nbsp;to the left does the white panel face towards you or away from you? Allow your eyes to relax and see if you can see both perspectives. Keep your focus soft and try to&nbsp;switch perspectives at will. This takes a little practice.&nbsp;In the figure to the right are you looking at the top side of the stairs or the underside?&nbsp;Practice shifting you perspective.</em></p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em></em></p> <p><em></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>These exercises allow&nbsp;one to recognize that perceptions and perspectives&nbsp;of an object can change while the object and the position of the observer remains unchanged. Recognizing, your ability to change your perceptions is a crucial step in developing the editors eye.</p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<img title="All seeing eye" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/0/8/2/5/ar124418954352807.jpg" height="83" alt="All seeing eye" width="128" /></p> <p> <p><strong>It is important to always avoid any kind of eye strain. Before engaging these exercises consult your eye doctor or ophthalmologist if you should use&nbsp;the folowing&nbsp;tecniques. Stop If you experience any discomfort or strain. </strong></p> <p><strong>Sitting comfortably with your eyes open, look straight ahead, straighten your spine with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in your lap.When doing the eye exercises don't move your head and keep your eyes open.</strong></p> <p><strong>Raise your eyes and find a small point in front of you that you can see clearly without moving your head or straining your eyes.While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes.</strong></p> <p><strong>Now, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor which you can see clearly when glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and relax the corners of your eyes</strong></p> </p> <p><img title="Eye of Horus" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/1/8/6/ar124418959368114.jpg" height="79" alt="Eye of Horus" width="118" style="float: left; margin: 20px 29px;" />&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>1)</strong> Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.</p> <p> <p><strong>2)</strong> Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining. Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.</p> </p> <p><strong>3)</strong> Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless. Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest. Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.</p> <p><strong>4)</strong> This exercise should not be done until three or four days after you have begun eye exercises given here. Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the <img title="Third Eye" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/3/2/1/3/ar124419037531235.jpg" height="127" alt="Third Eye" width="86" style="float: right; margin: 20px;" />floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise. Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds. When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.</p> <p><strong>5)</strong> While doing&nbsp;this next changing-vision exercise you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times. Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly. Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.</p> <p> <p><strong>6)</strong> Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly. This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.</p> <p><strong>7) </strong>This exercise is called 'palming' and is used to help preserve the eyesight. It is best to sit at a desk or table with your elbows raised on a pillow so that you will be able to keep the neck straight, and easily keep your palms over the eyes. Briskly rub your palms until they are warm from friction and place the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should be supported and the neck should be kept straight. Don't bend your head. Start deep breathing while palming your eyes do this for a few minutes to complete your eye exercise session.</p> </p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Eyes of Buddah" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/1/0/9/ar124418966990176.jpg" height="93" alt="Eyes of Buddah" width="124" style="float: left; margin: 20px;" /></p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, &amp; Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog:</em> <strong>Questions for Kimo: Decor Design &amp; all things Hawaiian- </strong><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>&nbsp; tel.+1.808.344.1264&nbsp; Kimo Stowell Copyright &copy;2009</strong></p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><strong></strong></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:58:19 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1099806/developing-an-editors-eye- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1092144/the-devil-wears-prada-and-makes-one-hell-of-a-real-estate-merchandiser- <p style="text-align: left;">There are many marketing and merchandising truths in the fashionably funny film <a href="http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-devil-wears-prada/23758/main?flv=1" target="_blank">"The Devil Wears Prada"</a> based on the novel by <a href="http://www.laurenweisberger.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Weisberger</a> of the same name. <strong>When it comes to real estate merchandising, color selection is serious business and a priority in Real Estate Merchandising as well as in the Fashion World!</strong> The film clip below is one of my favorites.</p> <p> </p> <p><img title="Cerulean Butterflies" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/6/0/3/3/ar124348365233061.jpg" height="100" alt="Cerulean Butterflies" width="115" style="float: left;" /></p> <p> <object height="296" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/XsFD4zL_nFTEl-gnDIxPbA"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/XsFD4zL_nFTEl-gnDIxPbA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="296" width="512"></embed></object> </object> </p> <p><strong>There's an old adage about God and the devil being found in the details and when it comes to real estate merchandising there is a fine line between too little and too much color. So if you want a heavenly versus hellacious color experience, take color missals from the color designers as they set the trends in the industry along with the coordinated accessories.</strong> Home stagers might find Cerulean on the walls as anathema; prosetylizing anything other than neutral will lead one straight to you know where but believe it or not color, and it's use in merchandising, is a multibillion dollar industry that effects everything dyed, stained, painted, and or applied.</p> <p><img title="Photo from the film" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/8/6/6/2/ar124347699426681.jpg" height="292" alt="Photo from the film" width="567" style="margin: 20px; vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><a href="http://www.colormarketing.org/" target="_blank">Color Marketing Group</a>, and a handful of other associations, located in more than 20 countries, dictate color trends nineteen months or more in advance for manufactured products and services. <strong>These organizations provide a forum for the exchange of non-competitive information relating to all phases of color marketing: color trends and combinations; design influences; merchandising; sales; and education.</strong> Merchandisers use this information to help coordinate all matters of color selection. <a href="http://www.pantone.com" target="_blank">Pantone</a> is another company that provides color R&D information to merchandisers. </p> <p><strong>Color forecasting is a profession that, originally dates back to the 18th century when Parisian milliners first issued color books or cards, made from paper and ribbon samples, offering the colors du jour used by dressmakers and textile manufacturers during any current season.</strong>These samples were passed on to tanners, leather, feather, and fur workers so that accessories like hats, shoes, parasols, and gloves could be matched accurately to the latest fashion. In essence these organizations began to dictate to the public what colors would be en vogue in any particular season, allowing them to fine tune, coordinate and market their products without any surprises.</p> <p><img title="Real Estate Merchandising Before" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/2/4/5/7/ar124347899275422.jpg" height="414" alt="Real Estate Merchandising Before" width="276" style="margin: 10px 20px; vertical-align: middle;" /><img title="Real Estate Merchandising After" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/8/0/8/ar124347909180864.jpg" height="414" alt="Real Estate Merchandising After" width="276" style="margin: 10px 20px; vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Today color designers are hard at work interpreting, creating, forecasting, and selecting colors to enhance the quality, function, and saleability of anything and everything manufactured from automobiles to blenders.</strong> Real Estate Merchandisers utilize the services of color designers to access the latest color trends designed towards specific tastes and lifestyles in their target market. Marketed through fashion and lifestyle magazines and other media outlets. <strong>Consumers are offered a limited seasonal selection of "new" colors with specific shades, tones, and color combinations that are reinforced by advertising and designers of all kinds.</strong>When consumers, after seeing a designer on HGTV apply Cerulean Blue to a Bathroom, decide they want the same; manufacturers are already prepared with product on the shelf. The choices are made for the consumer in advance, subtly fed through the media. Everything from prom gowns to coffee grinders will come shellacked in Cerulean in an endless parade with complementary colored Chocolate and Jet accents... and you thought you were being original.</p> <p> <img title="Cerulean Butterfly" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/0/2/0/6/ar124348052260209.jpg" height="185" alt="Cerulean Butterfly" width="200" style="float: right; margin: 20px 10px;" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>The Devil wears Prada and makes one hell of a Real Estate Merchandiser.</strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>JDS Consulting-</strong> <em>Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog:</em> <strong>Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & all things Hawaiian- </strong><a href="http://www.realestatedesignonline.com/"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></a><strong>  tel.+1.808.344.1264  Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009</strong></p> <p><strong>More Merchandising Posts-</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1084667/before-and-after-condo-makeover-in-waikiki-hawaii-" target="_blank">Waikiki Make Over</a>     <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1082989/comparing-golden-delicious-to-granny-smith-the-top-ten-differences-between-real-estate-merchandising-and-home-staging-" target="_blank">Home Stanging & Merchandising</a>     <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1023712/one-little-red-wagon-thats-not-tied-to-other-sinking-ships-in-the-industry-" target="_blank">Merchandising Sells Properties</a></strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.Com"></a></p><div class='agent_signature'><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><img style="float: right; vertical-align: middle;" title="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/7/3/8/ar12542572183791.jpg" alt="JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design" width="586" height="166" /></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: x-large;"><strong>www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com</strong></span></a></p></div> Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser (JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design) Thu, 28 May 2009 04:51:48 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1092144/the-devil-wears-prada-and-makes-one-hell-of-a-real-estate-merchandiser-