Nancy's Blog

StagersList Expo - Have you attended one?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:25:49 -0500

I just returned from Houston where I attended the StagersList Expo. If you haven't attended one of their expos, you need to SIGN UP for the next one! The money and time spent were well worth it. The sessions were interesting, informative, and relative to your staging business. You will definitely walk away with several "ah ha" moments that you can immediately apply to growing your business. I don't want to spoil it for you, so I won't say anything specific, but you should go!

In addition, it was a great opportunity to spend time with experts in the staging and real estate industry, plus network in person with fellow stagers (many of whom I know from ActiveRain)!

A special THANK YOU to CORT Furniture for hosting the Expo at their facility and for providing lunch!

Rockwall Farmer's Market

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:20:47 -0500

Tomatoes, peaches, canteloupe, corn.... Looking for fresh fruits, vegetables, or plants? Visit the Farmer's Market at Rockwall's Downtown Square. The market is set-up in the parking lot of the Historic Courthouse located at Hwy. 66 and 205. The market will be open on Saturdays now thru September 26th between 8:00 am and noon. (Please note: the Farmer's Market will be closed May 30th for Founder's Day, July 4th, and September 19 for Aspasians Fair.)

It's a fun place to shop! Bring your family and friends, shop the Farmer's Market and shop the boutiques on the Square. You can even enjoy a great lunch on the Square!

Signature Style Staging provides home staging and redesign services to clients in Collin, Dallas, Hunt and Rockwall counties.

www.signaturestylestaging.com

Rowlett's Eggstraordinary Egg Hunt

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:49:34 -0500

The City of Rowlett is hosting an Eggstraordinary Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4th from 10:00 am to noon. This is a free event that will include 20,000 filled Easter eggs, face painting, bounce houses, music, Easter Bunny and much more. Keepsake photos with the Easter Bunny will be available for a fee of $5.

The egg hunt will be divided by age as follows: infants to 3 years, 4 to 6 years, 7 to 10 years, and Angel Kids (children with Special Needs).

Location: Main Street / Downtown Rowlett

Signature Style Staging provides home staging and redesign services to clients in Collin, Dallas, Hunt and Rockwall counties.

Check it at the Curb

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:56:49 -0600

Have you checked your curb appeal? It's the first thing people see when they drive up to your house. Buyers start forming an opinion about your house before they even get out of the car. If your home does not show well at the curb, chances are buyers won't even make it to the front door.

However, if your paint is faded or chipped, a fresh paint job will go a long way towards improving the curb appeal. Also, paint or stain the front door. Replace the door hardware, house numbers, mailbox and light fixture.

Clean the sidewalk and porch (power wash if needed) and remove any clutter from the front porch. Don't forget to set out a new "welcome" mat when you're done!

Keep the yard mowed and edged each week, trim the hedges, pick up newspapers and any trash each day, remove the garden statues and whirligigs, clean the windows, remove and replace any dead plants. Add a little seasonal color to your flower beds, but remember to keep it watered! Top the flower beds off with fresh mulch.

Also take a look at your window treatments from the curb. If the blinds are damaged - replace them. If the blinds or drapery linings don't match, replace them with ones that do (preferably white or another neutral color).

It sounds like a bit of work, but the results will be worth the time and effort. You will be welcoming buyers into your home for a closer look!

Signature Style Staging provides home staging and redesign services to clients in Collin, Dallas, Hunt and Rockwall counties.

www.signaturestylestaging.com

I Took a Flying Leap!

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:02:07 -0600

I took a flying leap and joined Twitter! I got an invitation from another Twitter and thought, "why not?", so I signed up and had an instant follower. Now I have two! I've been looking around Twitter to see what I should do and so far I've customized my home page, posted a few updates, and sent some direct messages. Now what?? I would appreciate any input on what Twitter is for and what it will do for my business.

New Waterfront Development in the Works for Rowlett

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 02:49:49 -0600

The City of Rowlett and Lone Star Companies of Dallas, LLC are currently negotiating a contract to develop a waterfront development to be located along Lake Ray Hubbard south of Main Street and east of Kirby Road. The waterfront entertainment development will include more than four million square feet of restaurants, retail space, and office space, including a hotel and convention center, and residential space. The development will be known as Pecan Grove Waterfront District and will be accessible from the new George Bush Turnpike extension currently under construction as well as the future DART rail extension.

Once an agreement is reached, construction is expected to begin in 2010 and be completed in phases. This project will bring a new, much needed entertainment district to the City of Rowlett and the Lake Ray Hubbard area.

Signature Style Staging provides home staging and redesign services to clients in Collin, Dallas, Hunt and Rockwall counties.

www.signaturestylestaging.com

Great Photo Editing Tool

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:40:32 -0600

If you are looking for a free on-line photo editing tool, try www.picnik.com. It is very easy to use and you can edit, crop, resize, sharpen, fix red-eye and much more without registering on the site. You can add frames, text, touch-ups and even textures to your photographs. It's fun! I've used Picnik for editing my staging photos as well as creating a collage for family photos. Give it a try!

Here's a sample of one I edited and added a frame to:

Exciting News for Rowlett!

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:13:01 -0500

Rowlett is a great place to live and it is in a season of growth. New restaurants and retailers are opening soon and the City recently hosted a groundbreaking event for the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) extension that will connect Highway 78 in Garland to Interstate 30 at Lake Ray Hubbard. Construction on the much anticipated roadway is scheduled to begin on the extension in October 2008 and completion is scheduled in late 2011.

The PGBT extension and the arrival of light rail service will be a catalyst for economic growth in Rowlett bringing over 10,000 jobs and approximately $19 billion in economic impact for the area over the next 20 years.*

*estimates from Rowlett Community News

Signature Style Staging creates rooms that connect with buyers. We work with Homeowners, Realtors, and Builders in Collin, Dallas, Rockwall, and Hunt Counties (including Allen, Garland, Greenville, McKinney, North Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City, and Wylie).

www.signaturestylestaging.com

Rowlett's 2008 Holiday Parade will Benefit Soldiers

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:14:31 -0500

The Noon Exchange Club of Rowlett will host their 22nd Holiday Parade, "Star Spangled Christmas", on Saturday, November 22, at 10:00 A.M. This year, the organizers will be collecting Prepaid Phone Cards as donations to soldiers so they can call home for the holidays. All parade participants are asked to bring a $10 or $20 phone card.

Also, in conjunction with the parade, the Amateur Community Theater of Rowlett will hold their annual Old Fashioned Chili Cook-off.

www.signaturestylestaging.com

An American Christmas in Garland, TX

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:21:17 -0500

Jason Castro (2008 American Idol finalist from Rockwall, TX) will open for Patty Labelle on Saturday, December 13, 2008 in An American Christmas at Special Events Center Arena in Garland, TX. Proceeds will benefit BEST Education Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Garland Independent School District.

For ticket information, visit www.specialeventscenter.com

www.signaturestylestaging.com

What's in a Name?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:23:27 -0500

On a recent road trip to West Texas, I went through several small towns/cities with unusual names and was curious about the origin of their names. I jotted down a few of them to research their names and found some of them have interesting facts behind their names.

Notrees -Originated with the building of a gas plant for Shell Oil Company. The town's first postmaster named the town for its shortage of trees.

Tarzan - Named in 1927 after several names submitted to the post office were rejected. Tarzan was a popular comic strip at the time, so the name was possibly submitted as a joke after so many names were rejected.

Big Spring - Named for a big spring in Sulphur Draw - a historical watering hole for herds of buffalo, antelope, and mustangs. Comanche and Shawnee Indians fought over the water source.

Sweetwater - This one was easy. It was named after the sweet water from a local creek!

Roby - Named after D. C. Roby when a dispute arose between two business partners and a town named Fisher regarding whose land the courthouse would be built on. Roby won!

Monahans- With the expansion of railroads across the south plains of Texas, the Texas and Pacific Railroad hired a surveyor named John Thomas Monahan, who dug a well to provide water for the track laying crew. The well produced 250,000 gallons of water per day, which was a huge contribution to the community's success.

Kermit - Boasts it is the only Texas town to be named after one of Theodore Roosevelt's sons, Kermit Roosevelt (no, it was not named after the frog).

Andrews - Named for Richard Andrews, the first man to die in the war for Texas independence in 1835.

Post - Named after C.W. Post, the cereal giant who brought us Grape Nuts and Post Toasties. He bought over 200,000 acres of ranch land in Texas and built a town called Post City where his workers could buy property with a low down payment and low monthly payments.

Snyder - Named after an early merchant/buffalo hunter who operated a trading post in Scurry County.

The next time you're on the road, make note of some of the towns you go through and look them up. You will learn some interesting facts about how they were named and why a community was formed in that area and in some instances, facts about the community's decline.

Signature Style Staging is a home staging and redesign company located in a suburb east of Dallas. We provide home staging and redesign services for clients in Collin, Dallas, Hunt, and Rockwall Counties.

Top Notch Entertainers at Dallas Symphony!

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:01:14 -0500

Being a native Dallasite, one of the things I love about Dallas is the wide range of entertainment available throughout the area. One great venue is the Dallas Symphony. They not only have great performances by the world-class orchestra, but they also bring in top notch entertainers.

Their '08-'09 calendar is now available and includes Julio Iglesias, The Beach Boys, Huey Lewis and the News coming in September; and Frankie Valli, Tony Bennett, and B.B. King coming in October.

Visit their website for more information and tickets: http://dallassymphony.com

www.signaturestylestaging.com

Annual Festival of Freedom in Rowlett this Weekend!

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:15:31 -0500

Rowlett is holding their 14th annual Festival of Freedom on Saturday, 6/28/08 and Sunday, 6/29/08 at Pecan Grove Park. The celebration will include an Arts & Crafts trail, a children's entertainment area, a full scale carnival, the usual fair foods, and spectacular fireworks shows.

The festival opens at 1:00 pm both days and entertainment on the main stage will begin with opening acts at 6:00 each night. Saturday night's main attraction will be country artist Kevin Fowler at 8:30, followed by fireworks at 10:00 pm. Sunday night's main attraction will be Eddie Money at 8:30 pm, followed by fireworks at 10:00 pm.

Admission to the festival and parking is free, with admission for concerts - $10 for adults, $5 children 12 and under. (Bring a blanket or chair for the concerts.)

Hope to see you there!

Feature Post?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:59:18 -0500

I'm sure this question has been asked time and time again by Newbies, but I searched for the answer and couldn't find it. So, I'll ask it in the Newbie group.

What does it mean when you get a Feature Post? What happens when you get Featured? What determines a Blog will become a Feature Post?

Feature Post?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:57:51 -0500

I'm sure this question has been asked time and time again by Newbies, but I searched for the answer and couldn't find it. So, I'll ask it in the Newbie group.

What does it mean when you get a Feature Post? What happens when you get Featured? What determines a Blog will become a Feature Post?

Hot Plants for Curb Appeal

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:27:43 -0500

Summer is fast approaching and it's a good time to consider planting drought tolerant plants for beautiful curb appeal. Drought tolerant plants not only look good, they're also especially helpful for homeowners who don't have a "green thumb" and for those vacant homes where the homeowner isn't there to water regularly.

A visit to your local nursery will reveal that there are many beautiful heat and drought tolerant plants native to your area.

Here are some excellent drought tolerant plants I use in my own garden - many of them are perennials so they will bloom again next year:

Lavender
Lantana
Verbena
Black-Eyed Susan
Coreopsis
Shasta Daisy
Ruby Grass
Rosemary
Daylily
Society Garlic
Bougainvillea
Trumpet Vine (careful - this one can be invasive)
Canna

If you haven't tried drought tolerant plants in your landscaping, I encourage you to research plants that are native to your area and use them in your garden. I think you'll be glad you did!

First Job from ActiveRain!

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:26:05 -0500

Woo hoo!! I received a call about 10 days ago from a builder that saw my profile on AR. He has several high-end homes he wants to have staged and was interviewing 3 or 4 stagers and getting quotes. I visited the first house and sent him a quote... then two days later, he called with great news! He wants me to stage the home and scheduled an appointment to view the 2nd home in the morning - he wants me to stage that one too! ActiveRain is a great marketing tool!

"Magic" Grout Cleaner

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:58:33 -0500

I staged a home recently that had ceramic tile in the kitchen, which was really nice EXCEPT the grout was so dirty, it was almost black! I mean the entire floor had black, dirty grout. I tried several cleaners on it and they lifted some of the dirt, but it was still very dirty looking. I finally tried just plain white vinegar and one of those Mr. Clean magic sponges.... the dirt came right off! It was amazing how easy it was to clean the grout with vinegar and the magic sponge. I hope you will try it and let me know what you think!

"Magic" Grout Cleaner

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:03:43 -0500

Staging High-End - to Plant or not to Plant?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:31:38 -0500

I am not a big fan of artificial trees, but sometimes they are the perfect thing to fill up a corner and give it "life" (pardon the pun). I wanted to get your opinion regarding the use of silk trees when staging homes and particularly the high-end homes ($500,000 up to $2M). I've been shopping around for some artificial "green" and have not been pleased with the basic ficus trees I've seen. If you have staged any high-end homes, what have you used for trees, or did you use them at all? Your input is greatly appreciated!

Staging High-End - to Plant or not to Plant?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:15:20 -0500

Newbie says, HI!

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:40:01 -0500

Hello to everyone in the Group! I am new to AR (also new to this thing called blogging) and have been checking out the groups to find ones that I am interested in. I came across The Art of Marketing You and joined to learn... I have a staging and redesign business and am looking for more ways to market my business. I will be soaking up information like a sponge! Bring it on!

What's with "THAT" house?

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:19:40 -0500

What's up with homeowners who don't maintain the exterior of their homes (who knows what their interiors look like)?

I was driving through a neighborhood the other day and most of the homes were attractive and it was obvious that most homeowners had respect for their property and made an effort to keep the exteriors and lawns in good condition. I was driving along thinking this was a good neighborhood to live in. Then, I saw it. The house that looked like it had the original paint job from 20 years ago, which was probably dark charcoal in the beginning, but is now a milky looking gray - like a chalk board that has been erased many times, but not cleaned. I started to turn up the edge of my lip in disgust, but as I drove closer, it got worse.

I could see the mini blinds hanging in an upstairs window that looked like somebody rolled up their cat and let it fight its way out - while still hanging in the window. By this time, I was aghast and feeling sympathetic for their neighbors (and yes, the cat, too), but it got even worse! As I approached the front of the house, I saw a 4-drawer file cabinet sitting on the front porch! I wonder what ding-dong thought that was a good idea?

Then I arrived in front of the house and realized there wasn't any grass.... just dust bowl dirt in the front yard. On both sides of this house, the yards were green, mowed, edged, and had flowers and shrubs.

I don't get it. What is the problem with homeowners of "that" house? I can understand they may be short on money, but couldn't they do a little here and a little there to make their home look nicer?

I guess homes like this are the reason new neighborhoods have HOAs! I wonder if the neighbors on each side of this guy could "self appoint" themselves as an HOA and ask him to tidy up a bit. It would sure make buyers more interested in buying in that neighborhood!

C.P.R.

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:54:26 -0500

I heard a woman on the radio the other day who had been married to her husband for 50 years. She said she and her husband keep their marriage going strong by practicing C.P.R. I thought it was excellent advice and sounds so simple to live by.

C - Communicate with each other

P - Pray together

R - Romance - keep it alive in your relationship

C.P.R.

Nancy Robertson, RESA (Signature Style Staging) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:13:44 -0500

C - Communicate with each other

P - Pray together

R - Romance - keep it alive in your relationship