Okay I hope this is correct. I am just copying the format from Michelle Molinari's blog. So blame her if I did it wrong....hehe Thanks Michelle for picking me....I think?

•1.       Who is your favorite musical artist? My favourite musical artist at the moment would have to be Colby Caillat. She has such a pure voice and I love the easiness in the way she sings. I have many different types of genres that I like too so for bluesy jazz I love July Black. She is a Canadian singer and If you haven't heard of her music you should definitely check her out. My third choice would be my 13 year old daughter. She is an aspiring singer and she has a beautiful sweet voice.

•2.       Who is your favorite artist? Well if you have ever seen any of my paintings you would be able to tell right away that I am totally inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe!! I love her bold style with Flowers. She paints huge single flower heads and that is what I do. My art teacher said, "paint what you love, and keep painting it until you are done." Which is what I do.  I haven't tired of painting flowers yet.This is one of my 'Georgia O'Keeffe' Inspired paintings. Hope you like it.

•3.       Who is your favorite blogger? I have many favourite bloggers and they are constantly changing. One of the most memorable favourites is The Lovely Wife. If you haven't seen her blogs you should definitely check her out. She is hilarious!! I also like Elaine Manes , she is one of the most sincere bloggers and I have great respect for her.

•4.       If you could meet anyone (alive or dead), who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them?  I would love to be able to talk to my father again. I would talk to him about Art. He used to paint beautifully and I didn't appreciate his talent when he was alive, so if I could talk to him again we would talk about our love of painting and I would ask him for some pointers.

•5.       What did you want to be when you grew up? I was once in a beauty pageant when I was three. Little Miss Tennesee. When the host of the pageant was asking the contestants questions, he asked me "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Much to my Mother's chagrin, I said, " I want to be a Mommy just like my Mommy." She just about died, because she wa s hoping I would say something brilliant like a surgeon or a lawyer. Of course I was only three. She wa s my whole world back then. As for a career choice, I have always done artistic careers, and I wouldn't change a thing.  By the way , I was third runner up. My Mom still has the trophy.

•6.       What is the most interesting piece of trivia you know? I love hummingbirds and I just recently read that they need to eat every 15 minutes. That's all I can think of now, but I know I have thousands of useless  bits of trivia somewhere in the recesses of my brain. I'm sure they will pop up after I finish writing this blog.

•7.       If you could live in any point in history what would it be and why?  I think I would like to go back to the 1950's. Everything was being invented and it was post war so there was a lot of prosperity . Plus I like the music of that era and also those dresses!

•8.       Most interesting job I ever had: I would say the most interesting job I had was a Make up artist. I did  some print work and that was very interesting and challenging to work with the photographers. They are very demanding. I also loved doing bridal. I would meet lots of different people with many cultural backgrounds. Also very demanding people!!! As you can imagine.

Okay now I think I have to tag 3 people? I hope that's right. I tag Cindy Bryant, Thomas Scott, and Joelle Green.

I have just read Eckhart Tolle's latest book on Awakening to your life's purpose and I loved it!! It is a must read for anyone especially if you are wondering why you are here? What is your purpose in life?

I love anything to do with learning to be a better me and this book has it all. It is so inspiring that Oprah has deemed it to be one of her Oprah bookclub selections and has started an online class with the author to help you to 'Awaken' to your own purpose.

It is a bit deep and takes some time getting through it. I gobbled it up and now have to re-read because I'm sure I missed many things. That is the reason that Oprah decided to have an online class in the first place. I tuned in this past Monday night along with 499,999 other people from around the world.

I can't explain what the book entails in a blog post....it's just too deep. But you really should read it! If you loved "The Secret" you will absolutely be tingling with excitment when you turn the pages of this one.

One of the many fantastic quotes in the book is "Humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die. ... If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction"

There are references to Jesus, Budha, Tao Te Ching, as well as many others.

Happy Reading!

Kathy Somers ~ Stage it First! Home Staging

905-852-0383

www.stageitfirst.ca

As the word spreads about Home Staging, more and more people are choosing to have their homes staged by Professional Home Stagers before putting them on the market.  Is this something you have thought about? If not, why? Did your Realtor advise you about staging your home before listing it?

Some savvy Real Estate Agents know the importance of properly presenting your home in it's best light and that is why you will see more and more agents working with Home Stagers or Staging homes as part of their marketing package. What does this mean for you?;  It means that your home will be assessed by a Professional Home Stager who has trained to prepare your property with the 'eye of the buyer' in mind. If your agent doesn't suggest hiring a home stager, ask why? It is in your best interest as a homeowner to market your home in the most innovative way that you can. Shouldn't this be something that your agent informs you about? Don't wait until your agent suggests a price drop. Staging your home in Toronto can cost as little or less than  1% of the asking price depending on what needs to be done.

 A Professional Home Stager will make an appointment with you to do a walk through of your entire home. At this consultation appointment the Stager will give tips on things you can do to make your home more appealing to a wider variety of buyers. She may make recommendations for paint, furniture placement, and even refer trades people to help with your project. You can choose to do these tasks yourself or have the Home Stager complete some of the project or all of the project.  Before having an open house, the Home Stager can come and put the finishing touches on everything from ~ placing decorative items in the rooms, to dressing the bed. The choice is yours.

Staging is already a Hot marketing tool in the City. Can you afford not to be one of the first in your neighborhood to stage your home before putting it on the market? Think of the edge this will give you on the competition!! If you live in the Toronto or surrounding Bluffs or Beaches area, call Kathryn for a chat about how staging your home will give you an advance on the competition!! Make your home stand out from the crowd! Stage it First!

Spring is coming and you've decided to sell. What are you going to do first?  De-Clutter and clean up the place? Maybe a fresh coat of paint? Or did you think that your first step should be to call an agent? Wrong! The first thing you need to consider before you do any of those things is to source out a Professional Home Stager.

What the heck is home staging?

You haven't heard? You're not alone. Many home sellers have not heard about the benefits of a professionally staged home. Staging is the art of decorating and merchandising your property in a way that attracts a wide variety of buyers. A Home Stager will be able to give you objective feedback on the appearance of your home before you hang out the for sale sign.

A good Home Stager is able to look at your home with the same critical eye as the buyers. A Stager is able to objectively look at your home and advise you on the changes you can make to enhance the appearance of you home.

A Home Stager can advise you on such things as:

• Curb appeal
• Paint selection
• Furniture placement and traffic flow
• De-cluttering tips and organizing
• Correct placement of artwork and accessories
• Creating an atmosphere that will entice buyers
• Source trades people to help with repairs or renovations

Why should you hire a Home Stager?

Buyers will be comparing your home to all the others on the market. By staging your home you will be setting yourself apart from the rest. It's a fact that buyers make an emotional connection before deciding to buy.  Create a captivating atmosphere; help your home to stand apart from the crowd!

How do you choose a stager?

Ask questions.

• Do they have a website determine if it looks professional
• Did they actually staged the homes in the before and after pictures in their portfolio (Believe it or not, some stagers use stock photos)
• Most stagers will charge on average from $200.00 and up per 2-3 hour consultation depending on the area you are in. Don't just go for the cheapest. You get what you pay for
• Ask what you can expect at the consultation.  (Most consultations on an average size home will take anywhere from about 2-3 hours. At the end of the consultation you should have a list of things that you can do yourself as well as professional contacts for trades people if needed.)

Not all Home Stagers are created equal. ~ Do your homework!

Kathryn Somers is a specialist in staging your home for sale in the Scarborough Bluffs and Beache areas of Toronto

Contact Kathryn Somers ~ Creative Director ~ www.stageitfirst.ca ~905-852-0383

This is my sister's home up in the country. She bought this house and the previous owner had painted everything dark blue.....Yuck! It looked like a Toronto Maple Leafs fan lived there. She still wanted country but I talked her into going a bit more contemporary. Out with the ducks and hearts and dried flowers country and in with a more understated country. I hope you like it...she does.

After: Painted with Benjamin Moore Buckhorn CC-510

and Maple leaf red 2084-20

Before: Awful Blue

As the word spreads about Home Staging , more and more people are choosing to have their homes staged  by Professional Home Stagers before putting them on the market.  Is this something you have thought about? If not, why ? Did your Realtor advise you about staging your home before listing it?

Some savvy Real Estate Agents know the importance of properly presenting your home in it's best light and that is why you will see more and more agents working with Home Stagers or Staging homes as part of their marketing package. What does this mean for you? It means that your home will be assessed by a Professional Home Stager who has trained to prepare your property with the 'eye of the buyer' in mind. If your agent doesn't suggest hiring a home stager, ask why? It is in your best interest as a home owner to market your home in the most innovative way that you can. Shouldn't this be something that your agent informs you about? Don't wait until your agent suggests a price drop. Staging your home in Durham Region can cost as little as 1% of the asking price or less depending on what needs to be done.

 A Professional Home Stager will make an appointment with you to do a walk through of your entire home. At this consultation appointment the Stager will give tips on things you can do to make your home more appealing to a wider variety of buyers.She may make recommendations for paint, furniture placement, and even refer trades people to help with your project. You can choose to do these tasks yourself or have the Home Stager complete some or all of the project.  Before having an open house, the Home Stager can come and put the finishing touches on everything from ~ placing decorative items in the rooms, to dressing the bed. The choice is yours.

Staging is already a Hot marketing tool in the City. Can you afford not to be one of the first in your neighbourhood to stage your home before putting it on the market? Think of the edge this will give you on the competition!! If you live in the Uxbridge or surrounding area, call Kathryn for a chat about how staging your home will give you an advance on the competition!! Make your home stand out from the crowd! Stage it First!

Kathryn can be reached at 905-852-0383 or by email at kathy@stageitfirst.ca

Here are some of the most important aspects of Home Staging as seen in Izabela Jaroszynski's article entitled

Staging a sale ~ Can it really help with a sale?

From the newsdurhamregion.com

 You can read more about Home Staging by clicking on the link (http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/business/article/84221

When I was growing up we live in the States. We immigrated to Nashville Tennesee of all places. My Father decided that we could have a better life in the U.S. so he boarded a plane from England to Nashville never having been there before. After 12 months he sent for my mother. I was 15 months old when I 'met' my Dad again. I don't think I liked him much at first. After all I didn't really know him.

My parents loved Tennesee. The weather was beautiful, they had a nice house in a nice neighborhood, they had nice friends. But something was lacking. The packed up their belongings in search of what was missing. I was 5 at the time. We moved this time to Charlotte NC. I loved it there. I had many friends and enjoyed swimming daily in the Summer. But my parents still hadn't found what they were searching for.

It's a huge adjustment to come to North America from Europe. The lifestyle is vastly different. My parents had finally figured out what was missing. Although they loved living in the States and all it afforded, it was just too different from England. They couldn't adjust. That was when the packed us up once again and we moved to Canada. I was 10.

What's so special about Canada? Toronto specifically? There are a great many British Immigrants here. My parents found that they felt a little more at home here. They had other friends who had also immigrated from England and we stayed with them for the first few weeks we were here. Thats where the Title to my blog comes in. You were wondering when I was going to get to that weren't you?

Having been schooled in the Southern states, we weren't taught very much about Canada. (Actually nothing) I don't know if things are different now or if it was just that I was in primary school and they didn't  concentrate on world geography until later years. Whatever the reason, I didn't have much knowledge of Canada.

We arrived in February. If you live in Canada you know that February is the worst possible month you could move here from the South. There was snow everywhere. Just as I expected it to be. You see I didn't know that it got warm in Canada. I was one of 'those' people who don't know that Canada has a Summer. Well at least I had an excuse, after all I was a child.

One of the first people I met was a friend of the girl we were staying with. Her name was Sandi, and she was Japanese. I had never met a Japanese person before. Well as it happens, Sandi was wearing a fur parka. Can u see where I'm going with this???? I asked her if she was an Eskimo!!!!!!!!! After all it was snowing and I was in Canada. Boy did they laugh about that one.

If you are one of those people who think Canada always looks like this......

A COUNTRY ROAD IN UXBRIDGE

                                                                     A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY AFTER A SNOWFALL UXBRIDGE 

BEAUTIFUL UXBRIDGE EVERGREENS AFTER THE SNOWFALL     

Think again. In the summer of 2006 in Ontario we had a record temperature of 117 degrees in July.

This is what Summer really looks like in Canada.

 UXBRIDGE SUNSET

MY NEIGHBORHOOD POND (UXBRIDGE)

This is Choochie. She is my 17 year old Himilayan Blue Cream Point Cat. She's not really evil. She's just not very photogenic. This bothers Choochie because she knows how beautiful she is. She would really like to have a better picture of herself and she wouldn't be very happy if she knew that I was posting this 'bad' picture of her on AR for everyone to see. I don't care if its not her best picture, I just want you all to see my beloved.

Choochie has several names. Her birth name is Tabitha. But that has morphed into 'Girlie' 'Shabersha' Chooch-a-monga' 'Moochkey' 'Schkuu girl'  and many more but I can't remember them all. Besides I sound ridiculous enough already.

Choochie is the Ruler of the house. One of her loyal servants is 'Rudy' the neurotic and nervous Labrador Retriever. He is afraid of Choochie. She is the boss! When Choochie wants to drink out of the 'family' bowl. Rudy the loyal serf has to wait his turn.

When Choochie isn't lounging on her Royal Throne (My bed) She is hanging with the girls. She thinks that she is the prettiest of them all.

                                                                                 We love Choochie and of course we let her go shopping for new outfits once in a while. This is one of her designer dresses that she calls 'Cowboy Chic'

When Choochie has had a long day of shopping. She likes to go recline on her 'Throne'. This is her most favorite position. She has asked me if I think she should submit this photo to "Playkitten" since she thinks it is most sensual.

All kidding aside, Tabitha has been a wonderful pet. As the years have passed she has seen the birth of both of our children. The addition of our dog Rudy and a Guinea Pig name Beauty Cutie. She has moved with us 4 times and never complained. She even went for a holiday at Grandma's when we went to Cuba. Since she has grown up we let her stay on her own. But we have 'family' come so that she can keep them company.

She loves my husband Vince the most. It's most likely since she knows that he was never really a 'cat person' and she likes the fact that he doesn't bother her too much. (I maul her too much, only because I love her so much) Vince has since been converted to a cat person. If it is only our cat.

Tabitha has slowed down in the past months and she has become thinner. She is in the 'twilight' years of her life.  Don't tell her that though, she doesn't know it.

If you are looking for a loving and good natured beauty. Look for a Himilayan. There are many varieties. Tabitha is a Blue-Cream Point but there are Flame Points, Blue Points, Chocolate Points and other types. If you noticed a similarity to a Siamese then you are right. The Persian was mixed with a Siamese to get this fantastic and Regal Breed.

Choochie sends her love!

I love to pick people's brains about anything staging related. I find myself using favourites over and over and I would like to branch out a bit.How do you make your color selections?  Some of my favourite colours are Benjamin Moore. I like to use these colours in my staging projects and I have these colours in my own home. If a client wants to use a less expensive version of the same colour I will colour match the BM paint chip. But I must say I love BM. My favourite paint finish is the Ulti-Matte.....Yumo (Rachel Ray)

Tiramisu CC-486 Biscotti CC-488 Chocolate Fondue CC482 Grey Wisp CC670.

Colours I find myself using alot are Smoky Taupe CC490, Ranchwood CC500, Buckhorn CC510. Notice a correlation here? If you have a BM Designer Classics Colection Fandeck you will see that those colours that I love are all on the same chip.

 I love Gray Wisp CC670, Smoky Green CC700, and Mount Saint Anne CC710. Those are some pretty smoky greenish/blue greys. Very nice for bathrooms and bedrooms. I like using a combo of blue and browns. I also like Muslin CC110, Barely Beige CC140, Dijon CC210, Ginger Root CC274 and Sisal CC304. Some reds I love are Sundried Tomato CC62, Maple leaf red 2084-20. I recently used Maple leaf red with Buckhorn. Very Dramatic.

I don't shy away from colour just because I'm staging a house. I like to add a dramatic flair if its called for. If all homes staged were beige it would be too boring. Branch out when it comes to colour selection.

What are your favourite Benjamin Moore Colours? Let's broaden our home staging horizons by sharing great paint selections.