You can eat an elephant...one bite at a time - 12/23/10 11:23 AM
Last week I attended a "Thank You Holiday Open House" at the magnificent home of my dear friend and Ready2Sellin30Days contributor Lisa Leonardi aka The Room Doctor.  She invited all of the Realtors she worked with in the past year so that she could personally thank them for their staging business.   She also invited many of the tradespeople that she relies upon in her staging work - all of whom would be a great resource to her Realtor clients.  I enjoyed meeting many great professionals and appreciated the opportunity to share with everyone the  Ready2Sellin30Days system.  Michael Mardsen of The River … (10 comments)

Last Minute Gift Idea That's Cute, Clever and CHEAP! - 12/22/10 10:52 PM
I wanted to throw in a little something extra for all of my Christmas cookie recipients this year.  I stumbled upon this last minute gift idea that is cute, clever and very inexpensive so I thought I'd pass it along.  
These adorable poems were easy to find online.  All I did was attach them with ribbon to a packet of hot cocoa mix, a candy cane and some mini marshmallows (you can also throw in a mug if you'd like).   Here's how the poems go ... 
Snowman Soup
"Was told you've been real good this year Always glad … (13 comments)

Find the Happiness That Giving Brings... - 12/21/10 10:24 AM
I am very grateful to be able to start each day with motivational/inspirational messages that are sent to me via email every morning from My Daily Insights.  I found today's message particularly meaningful and felt compelled to share it ...
Teach us to value most eternal things. To find the happiness that giving brings...
 To know the peace of misty, distant hills.
 To know the joy that giving self fulfils.
 To realize anew this Christmas Day.
 The things we keep are those we give away.   ~Marvin Davis Winsett ("A Christmas Prayer")

Would you like to recieve daily inspirational … (6 comments)

Thanking Active Rain Members - 12/20/10 10:33 PM
Thank you Juli Vosmik for challenging us to acknowledge those who inspired us to write our first post.  This is such a nice idea. You can check out Juli's post here..... Thanking Activerain members and a wonderful way to start the day.
I owe a very long overdue 'Thank You' to Julia Maher for inspiring me to join Active Rain.  Julia Maher of Nestings provides award winning Home Staging and Model Home Design services to her clients in Fairfield and New Haven CT counties. 
Julia gave a dynamic presentation during the 2008 Association of Design Education Annual Confernece where she shared … (11 comments)

The Commoditization Conspiracy - 12/17/10 03:07 PM
Speaker, Coach and Business Strategist Doug Rawady gave a very informative presentation during the Association of Design Education (ADE) Annual Conference.  Doug is a very dynamic speaker who shared with us the secret to creating a Dominant Market Position by building a "Killer Brand".   Most of us in attendance were small business owners and his advice couldn't possibly have come to us at a more appropriate time.  We learned that during these tough economic times, we REALLY need to make ourselves stand out from our competition.  We need to make sure the product/service we're offering is absolutely irresistible to our target … (6 comments)

Blasting Business Boundaries - Building a Killer Brand - 12/16/10 09:52 PM
Blasting Business Boundaries - Building a Killer Brand
Speaker, Coach and Business Strategist Doug Rawady gave a very informative presentation  during the Association of Design Education (ADE) Conference back in September. The subject was, Blasting Business Boundaries by Building a KILLER BRAND.  Doug is a very dynamic speaker and he shared with us the secret to creating a Dominant Market Position by building a "Killer Brand".  
Perhaps you're wondering, what exactly is a "Killer Brand"?   Doug pointed out that your brand is NOT your logo and has little to do with the company you represent.  Your brand is actually - … (5 comments)

A Holiday Concert at John F. Kennedy Middle School - 12/15/10 01:03 AM
Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful holiday concert at the John F. Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville, Connecticut.   Under the amazing leadership of the always enthusiastic Mr. Johnson, the 6th and 7th grade band members put on a very impressive show!  Everyone's hard work and dedication really shined through. 
The 8th grade band will be performing on Dec. 15th and the orchestra and choral concerts will take place next week on the 20th and 21st.  JFK Cares is sponsoring the first annual toy drive benefiting Children's Christmas Wishes, so please consider bringing a new unwrapped toy to any of the … (3 comments)

Giving the Gift of Hope .... Priceless - 12/13/10 10:32 PM
Giving the priceless gift of hope this holiday season.
I feel so very blessed to have had the opportunity to experience the miracle of adoption.  The little girl we adopted came to us as a foster child - and we were so very fortunate to be able to keep her!  Our story seems almost like a fairy tale because the whole process went so smoothly.  Having the loving support of a huge number of family members and friends sure helped out a lot. But even with all that support, it's still not always easy to integrate two cultures into one … (5 comments)

"Food for Fines" at the Southington Public Library - 12/12/10 06:16 PM
The "Food for Fines" program is going strong at the Southington Public Library. Here's your chance to have your overdue fines forgiven by bringing in a non-perishable food item. All contributions will be taken to the Southington Community Services.  The shelves at the Southington Community Food Pantry are running low.  They are in need of non-perishable food and personal care items.  Here's a list of urgently needed items:
Cereal, Peanut Butter, Rice, Jelly, Pasta, Sauce Mac & Cheese, Tuna Fish, Snacks, Juice, Canned Fruits and vegetables.  Donations can also be made Monday through Friday at Bread for Life, Friendship Hall … (8 comments)

BUYERS MUST OFTEN USE THIER 6TH SENSE... - 12/11/10 01:13 AM
Here's a great post from Steve Baklaich.  I'm a big fan of his - he's a wonderful blogger.    In the following post he shares how important it is for buyers to engage ALL their senses before making a purchase.  Well done Steve .....
Via Steve Baklaich (RE/MAX Realty Source St Cloud Mn real estate):
BUYERS MUST OFTEN USE THIER 6TH SENSE...but should never forget about the other 5 senses! Of those 5 senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) you can really only use one effectively while searching for a home on the computer.
In today's world of internet dependence, websites and, … (8 comments)

Wreath Stroll at the Village of Kensington Place - 12/11/10 12:03 AM
What a clever way to raise funds!  Last night I attended a "Wreath Stroll" - a holiday fundraiser at The Village at Kensington Place in Meriden Connecticut.  Local businesses were asked to donate wreaths which were then purchased by the highest bidder after a 2 hour silent auction.  All of the proceeds from this wonderful event went to the Midstate Cancer Center.


I was very impressed in so many ways ...
First of all the display of creativity in the wreaths was amazing. A few of the themes included (but were certainly not limited to) wreaths decorated with … (8 comments)

Scenes from Visit with Santa at the Elks Club in Southington - 12/08/10 12:06 AM
On Saturday December 4th I took my daughter to see Santa at The Southington Elks Lodge. The cost of admission? A non-perishable food item or monetary donation for Southington's Bread for Life.  At this wonderful event we got a FREE picture with Santa, enjoyed many fun arts and crafts and listened to a great performance by the Southington High School Band!  And I almost forgot the goodies at the bake sale - they were yummy! 

We are grateful to the sponsors of this event: The Southington High School Band Backers and The Southington Elks Club.  All this to support … (5 comments)

More Scenes from "Christmas in the Village of Plantsville" Thursday Dec.2nd 2010 - 12/06/10 10:23 PM
Here are a few more scenes from the 22nd Annual Christmas in the Village of Plantsville that took place Thursday Dec.2nd 2010 ....

 
This beautiful ice sculpture was one of the many wonderful attractions this year at the Christmas in the Village of Plantsville celebration.  It was created by Kevin Smith of the Southington Care Center. 
The evening was jam packed with all sorts of fun activities for kids as well as adults.  A middle school 14 piece Brass Trumpet Ensemble performed for us at the fire house, while we waited in line to see Santa. 

… (5 comments)

Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire - 12/04/10 11:39 PM
Scenes from the 22nd Annual Christmas in the Village of Plantsville Thursday Dec.2nd 2010

It sure was cold outside - my family thoroughly enjoyed this toasty bon fire, courtesy of Faith Lving Church, in downtown Plantsville, CT.  It was part of the annual Christmas in the Village of Plantsville celebration.
The guy with the gloves REALLY is chestnuts roasting over that huge open fire. A true sight to behold and a treat for all!
Just a few of the other attractions we enjoyed included,  Santa at the Plantsville Fire House, face painting by Valentine the Clown at Dean's Stove … (3 comments)

BRAVO TV Called Me- They're Doing a Story About Haunted Houses in CONNECTICUT - 12/03/10 04:44 PM
BRAVO TV Called me (of all people) - they're doing a story about Haunted Houses in CONNECTICUT.   The house from Amityville Horror is for sale and they're doing a show about it.  They want to know if there are any similarly noteworthy homes in Connecticut that are for sale.  I thought at first this had to be a joke (and I'm still not 100% certain that it isn't).
Apparently, They found my Active Rain blog post The Haunting in CT and the Season of Spirits  where I shared a story about a house here in Southington Connecticut that was the inspiration … (13 comments)

A Very Serious Discussion with Santa - 12/02/10 01:02 AM
This is a picture of my nephew Ryan's beautiful daughters, Kaylie and Jozie.   In an earlier post I honored Ryan thanking him for his military service.  Check it out here and help us spread the word about Red Friday. 
As I was looking through photos I found this one and thought I'd use it to spread a little Christmas Photo Challenge Cheer.....
  Merry Christmas! 
 
 
 
… (12 comments)

Will you Give this to My DADDY!!!! Red Fridays, you with me???? - 12/02/10 12:37 AM
On Day 10 of my Holiday Season Be Thankful Challenge I express my gratitude for my sweet nephew Ryan and his safe return home after having served in Iraq a few years ago. 
Here he is with his beautiful baby girls ..... (go here to check out another cute photo of the girls with Santa)
Ryan to you and all of the other service men and women who fight for our freedom I say from the bottom of my heart ....
THANK YOU for your service!!
For YOU I wear will red on Fridays.
When I found this post, re-blogged … (4 comments)

Christmas Photo Challenge - Spreading Cheer at the Bank - 12/01/10 06:05 PM
Here's my son Tim. He just opened a Savings Account at TD Bank on Main Street in Southington CT. He chose to open account here because they give kids $10 when they read 10 books during the summer. He's a pretty smart guy who knows easy money when he sees it!  He got this silly elf hat as a free gift for opening his new savings account in addition to a gift card to download a free song onto his iPod. They sure know what kids like at TD Bank North. I thought I'd commemorate the moment with a photo of … (8 comments)

 
Karen_northstar_photo

Karen Bernetti

Southington, CT

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Staging4Smooth Transitions Connecticut Home Staging

Address: PO Box 564, Southington, CT, 06489

Office Phone: (860) 302-0333

Cell Phone: (860) 302-0333

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