Sometimes I just don't want to leave the home I just staged. There is no clutter, no toys, the pillows are where they were intended... it's visually very calm.

Then I go home. I am not the kind of stager that lives in an immaculately styled home. I have four kids ranging from 3rd grade to sophomore. I have 3 boys and a tomboy. Immaculate is a word that is lost in the black hole along with all the missing socks and the TV remote. Legos multiply, nerf bullets are found in every nook & cranny, video gaming stuff is constantly on the loose. It's my reality.

Anything that will get stepped on or sat on is chosen according to it's style and most importantly it's camouflaging ability. My design decor varies according to what's been stolen from my house to be used in the perfect spot in a staged home.

I once had a woman say to me (after she complimented me on my wonderfully stage home) "Your home must be beautiful!" Of course I didn't tell her that we were sitting on metal folding chairs because my dining chairs worked so perfectly with the staging!

At the end of the day when the staging is done, I just want to sit down (with a huge stack of decorating magazines) and enjoy the serenity of a quiet, beautifully staged home because when I go home it will be nothing like the staged house I just left!